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tomtenadia · 1 month

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Detours to You - 25

Hello all again, here we are with another chapter. This is a nice one and after this there are still 6 chapters left. The angst is basically over. We are a few months after the last chapter. Rowan is healed and also back to work.

He gets some amazing news in this chapter and then we have Lysaedion's wedding. Also we have smut. Oh yes our two birds have finally reconnected that way too and now they can't keep their hands off each other.

Hope you will love this.

MASTERLIST

A few more months elapsed and spring finally decided to appear in Orynth and the snow eventually began to thaw. The white of winter lead the way to the colours of the new seasons and cherry blossoms painted some of the parks pink.

Rowan was a winter person but happily admitted that spring had its own way of making everything look happier with all of its colours.

He had left HQ after a meeting with the commissioners on some of the improvements they have been working on. That had been his last meeting of the day and now he was driving towards the ice rink to pick up Maya after hockey practice. She had finished her introductory weeks and now she had started the actual training and was finally learning to play hockey. That was a first he had got to experience and his phone was bursting with pictures of his daughter in hockey gear. He and Aelin had taken her to a shop to buy all the equipment. She was proudly using the stick she had received for her birthday and for her jersey she had chosen the same number he used. She had chosen him and not Dorian and he could not contain his pride. On his way to the rink he had stopped at the dry cleaner where he had to collect his dress mess uniform. Lysandra and Aedion were finally getting married that weekend and Aelin had begged him to wear his uniform so he had agreed.

He and Aelin had improved a lot more and as soon as he was cleared to go back to work, he had taken her for a weekend in Ilium just before he was due to go back to work. They had left Maya with her grandparents and it had taken some convincing that it was a holiday they needed alone. They had to reconnect fully and finally took the last step in their relationship. They had almost spent the entire weekend in bed with just a few interludes for a swim in the sea and dinners out. It had been a perfect weekend.

The ice rink appeared in front of him and parked his TFD pickup in the car park and walked in, following the sound of the girls playing. He reached the rink and saw a few parents leaning against the barriers watching their daughters play.

He easily spotted Maya and smiled. She had perfected her skating technique quickly and they had gone out a few times together.

He noticed that they were practicing shooting techniques and he smiled when Maya kicked her puck right in the corner of the net with what meant to be a basic snapshot, fooling the goalie. He had taught her that.

He pumped his fist in the air in joy and in that instant one of the mothers walked towards him “is she yours?”

“Yes,” he answered quietly.

Aelin had explained him that at school he had won the title of DILF. He was about to celebrate until she explained him the meaning of the acronym. He had been horrified. The same story repeated itself at hockey practice.

The woman tried to keep talking to him, but Rowan managed to ignore her by adding that he was there to enjoy his daughter playing hockey.

Maya finished half an hour later and ran to him, while carrying her duffel bag and stick “Dad!”

He lifted her in his arms and kissed her “You have been so good today.”

“Did you see me?”

He nodded and put her down “ready to go home?”

Hand in hand they walked out of the rink and drove home.

The weekend finally arrived and so did Lysandra and Aedion’s wedding. The couple had decided to get married in a steading just outside the city that offered functions. It had a big pond and the wedding was going to take place near its banks and then the owners had prepared all the tables for the meal which was all produce from their farm.

Aelin was in hers and Rowan’s room getting ready. She and Elide were maid of honours and were wearing a long sleeveless green dress “Ro, can you zip it please?”

He came out the bathroom in his still open shirt and damp hair.

“You are not allowed to look this hot,” she stepped closer, her fingers brushing his chest. Stroking the markings in the old language where she knew Fireheart and Maya stood.

Rowan hummed “no distractions, we have a wedding to attend.”

Aelin kissed his pecs and his hands landed on her hips. Since they had taken the last step in Ilium, they had struggled to keep their hands off each other, but with a toddler next door they had been careful and did not manage to have as much fun as they wanted.

Rowan kissed her neck “You look stunning.”

“I don’t have anything underneath,” she whispered in his ear and felt Rowan pushing her against the dresser.

“Temptress.”

Aelin looked up at his eyes clouded with lust and a darker shade of green. She loved being the cause of that reaction. She had feared that after their separation their intimate life would suffer but Aelin had been wrong. The sexual tension had been building up for a while and in Ilium they had discovered that their chemistry was still explosive.

Rowan nibbled at the spot behind her ear that had the power to melt her and a whimper left her mouth. She had to talk to him, she had something important to say but her body had decided to stop responding to her.

“Ro…”

The kiss he gave her almost reduced her to a putty “Ro…” she repeated with urgency.

He gently pulled back and caressed her face “what?”

Aelin stepped back and looked at him “I have something to tell you.”

His stare turned worried and Aelin noticed it so moved quickly back to him, grabbing his hand and placing it on her belly “I found out a few days ago.”

She stared at his expression morph from worry to pure joy as he got the meaning of her words “for real?”

Aelin nodded “I did the math and I am positive it was our sex fest in Ilium,”

Rowan laughed and pulled Aelin to him “We are having another baby?”

She looked up at him and was glad that she had not started with make up yet because at his expression, tears started to well in her eyes “Maya will be a big sister?”

Another nod “I have not told anyone because I have not been to the doctor yet and I wanted to tell you first.”

“I am coming with you, I am not missing anything this time.” He lifted Aelin in his arms and twirled on his feet until she asked him to stop because she was getting queasy.

“I love you,” he added kissing her deeply and in that instant the door flew open and Maya burst in “Mama, dad no kissy.”

Rowan went to his daughter, lifted her in his arms and stamped a loud kiss on her cheek “did nana help you dress?”

Maya climbed off him and showed her dad her green dress and the cute green trainers Aelin had bought her. Eiddwen had combed her hair in two lovely braids tied with a green ribbon.

“You are lovely, but now sit on the bed so mum and dad can finish dress up.”

“Mama, dad are you getting married too?”

Both adults stopped what they were doing and looked at each other. They had put the priority on rebuilding the foundations of their relationship but Rowan definitely wanted to marry Aelin.

“Not yet, Maya.” Added Aelin, looking at Rowan who nodded back at her. He walked to his daughter and sat at her side “Your mum and I are working on it,” he extended his hand to Aelin and she took it “For now you need to know that I love you and your mum very much.”

“But she is your princess.”

Rowan smiled and shook his head “no baby, you are my princess,” he kissed her head and then stood, enveloping Aelin in his arms “Your mum is my queen.”

Aelin melted in his arms and Maya joined them, and Rowan held in his arms his growing family.

The wedding had been perfect. Aelin and Rowan had sat together with Elide and Lorcan and Maya had been the ring bearer and she had been proud at being given such an important task.

The ceremony had been perfect and during the vows Aelin had found herself crying, although she mostly blamed the hormones.

Now it was the after dinner and the party was in full swing. Lysandra had invited both Aelin and Rowan’s parents and Maya was busy dancing with her grandfather while Rowan had stolen Lysandra for a moment and Aelin had gone dancing with her cousin.

“So, how does it feel to be married?”

Lysandra chuckled “Marry Aelin and you will know…”

Rowan chuckled and Lysandra gasped “Are you going to propose?”

“Maybe…”

“Rowan Whitethorn,” she whispered “It’s about time.”

He smiled “we just took a detour through life but we are back on track now.”

“Good, because I want to dance at your wedding next.”

The dance came to an end and Aelin joined him again “Want to dance, chief?”

Rowan kissed her “I have a better idea,” he took her hand and started walking away from the main party area.

Aelin laughed when she noticed when he was going towards the barn.

“Seriously?”

Rowan paused “don’t tell me that in none of your romance books the couple doesn’t sneak away for some fun in the barn?”

Aelin pulled him closer “Oh no, chief, I have plenty of examples.”

Quickly they walked in the building and Rowan closed the door behind them and then a moment later Aelin was flush against the wall, his body caging hers “this dress has been driving me crazy,”

Aelin’s hands found purchase in his hair while his started roving her body climbing higher up to the edge of the corset. Her breast were full and tempting him. Slowly he pulled the fabric down exposing her soft mounds. His mouth covered one of her hard peaks while the other was being tended by his hand. Aelin moaned loudly and pushed him harder against her.

“Fuck, Rowan…”

He looked up with a happy smirk “any problems, m’lady?”

“I need you,” she breathed while her hand palmed his length in a teasing motion.

Rowan put the corset back in place and with a strong pull of his arms he lifted her on the desk, moving between her legs and getting closer to her.

“How much do you want me?” He breathed against her ear and Aelin moaned, her hand fisting in his long hair “stop teasing, chief.”

A chuckle left Rowan’s lips while his hand trailed her legs, slowly lifting the long dress. His mouth was avidly on her neck.

Aelin’s legs wrapped around his back and she slightly leaned backward on her hands “I am going commando, remember.”

The growl that left Rowan’s lips was savage and his mouth devoured her in desperation.

And when Aelin let out another obscene moan, Rowan’s finger slowly traced her core, noting how wet she was “all this for me? Gods, Aelin, you are dripping.”

She was about to let out a sassy remark when the feeling of his fingers filling her made her shatter and shorted her ability to speak.

Gods, sex with Rowan always had the power to destroy her. She had tried with another person but it had been so mundane that she had gone home and finished herself off. It had not been Sam’s fault. He could have been decent with anyone else but she had Rowan has main reference. It had been hopeless.

When Rowan added a third finger, Aelin saw stars and while he worked her to drag an earth shattering orgasm out of her, she grabbed one of her breasts and began teasing one of her hard peaks.

“I love when you touch yourself,” he added in a dark voice.

“Does that turn you on, chief?”

As a response Rowan stooped and fully lifted her dress, exposing her to him. A moment later his mouth was on her core and Aelin almost screamed.

“I have been hard for you since you put this dress on,” his tone had turned gruff while he kept feasting on her like a starved man.

“Fuck me, Rowan. I need you inside of me.”

“Do you?”

“Please.”

Aelin knew he loved when she begged him and it turned her on to no end when their lovemaking was a bit rougher. Mala burn her, being taken in a barn was one of her fantasies.

Rowan pulled her up and then a bit forward so that her ass was lined up with the edge of the table.

And while Rowan was unbuckling his trousers, Aelin’s finger found its way inside her causing a reaction in him “Look at me, Ae.”

That she did but at the same time she lifted her finger to her mouth and sucked it clean.

“Fuck.”

He stood in front of her, his cock in his hand, watching Aelin pleasing herself.

“Now chief, are we doing something about this?”

Rowan’s reaction was almost feral. He walked closer to her, lining himself to her entrance and in a swift motion he was inside her. Aelin groaned and collapsed on her back. He leaned forward and kissed her exposed breasts “gods Aelin.”

“More, I need more.”

He pulled her as close as possible never slowing down.

He felt her walls starting to clench and smiled and increased his speed until Aelin shattered under him, his name on her lips.

“I am not done yet with you.”

His finger went back to her clit trying to prolong her pleasure.

Aelin shattered a second time in his arms and he eventually felt the first signs that his peak was close too.

And when he did, he collapsed on her, wrapping her in his arms and leaning his forehead on hers “did it meet your fantasy?”

She kissed him “so much better.”

He gave her another kiss and then pulled back, trying to tidy himself up “I wonder if in the books they stash some cloth for the afterwards.”

Aelin laughed “no, in books they get clean magically.”

He grabbed her waist and pulled her off the table, pushing down her gown “Your hair is a bit messy.”

She snuggled closer to him “I don’t care. I’ll sneak in the bathroom on my way back.”

Giggling like two teenagers who had caused some troubles, they ran back to the main building and went to get sorted before joining again the wedding party.

taglist

@rowaelinismyotp @swankii-art-teacher @whimsicallyreading @elentiyawhitethorn @aelin-bitch-queen @bruiseonthefaceofhumanity @mis-lil-red @thegreyj @sailorsassley @leiawritesstories @clairec79 @morganofthewildfire @sv0430 @heartless--aromantic @autumnbabylon @rowanaelinn @susumaus98 @gracie-rosee @mybloodrunsblue @tanvee1231 @avenrebekah @whoever-you-choose-to-love @theywillnotsingforme @universallytreepost @black-daisy-water @goddess-aelin @whispers-in-the-darkest-heart @lovely-dove-zee @athena127 @mariaofdoranelle

#rowaelin #rowan whitethorn #rowan x aelin #rowaelin fanfiction #rowaelin fanfic #aelin x rowan #rowanwhitethorn #throne of glass fanfiction #aelin galathynius

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gaiahypothesims · 6 months

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276

Evelyn- <snickering> Omg, the ghost particles!! And then we ate the worst food from a chip shop because it was near the dry cleaners.

Isidore- Oh yes, I remember he talked about the rain ruining that sweater for so long.

Ashley- There's another one, that isn't a wardrobe review...

Isidore- Oh please, I've never seen these!

*******************************************************Home Video

Jonah- <sarcastically> Oh my god! I almost had a nibble. Only three hours in.

Evelyn- Stop it! I'm trying to take a video on how beautiful it is out here.

Jonah- You know that we live right ON the ocean? I don't know why we had to fly out to the mainland so that we can go camping and fishing at a lake, which if I might remind you, you don't even like to do normally.

Evelyn- You be quiet! We're having fun.

Jonah- Give me the phone and I'll film YOU having fun. Just pass it over.

Evelyn- I'm trying! Just lean over and grab it!

Jonah- This dinghy is going to capsize! Why didn't you book us a proper boat?

Evelyn- Because this is fun Jonah! Ah I dropped it! Its wet down there. Do you think its broken?

Jonah- I got it. No its fine. Look there you are. So beautiful, so grimy and frustrated with how boring fishing is.

Evelyn- You know my Dad helped feed his family by fishing!

Jonah- Mmhmm, well I can help feed my family by buying us some lunch, preferably at a restaurant, preferably one that has a dress code.

Evelyn- If we can catch a fish then we can eat THAT for lunch. That's fresh, lake to table. I'll be that runs at least a few hundred in one of your restaurants. Besides I have an emergency lunch packed! Its hot dogs...

Jonah- Wieners... I think you mean wieners. God knows I know how much you love wieners Evelyn, but... this is too much. I feel sea sick.

Evelyn- We live on a fucking boat Jonah!

Jonah- <fake outrage> Ev! Language. My virgin ears... I think its safe to say all the fish have been scared off. Can we go back? If you're interested in wieners I brought a footlong sausage.

Evelyn- <angry sigh then mumbles> Vienna sausage maybe.

Jonah- <in background lauging> What did you say?

Evelyn- <shrill> You heard me! Turn that off! You ruined my video! Jonah I said stop, turn it off. I'm mad at you!

Jonah- <laughing harder> Don't be mad! We can stay out and fish. We can stay out all day and fish until we've caught them all. I brought us hats and sunscreen. We can fish until tomorrow.

Evelyn- Turn it off! I don't want you to film me anymore! I don't want there to be evidence of what I'm about to do to you!

Jonah- <snickering> Ooooh sounds sexy!

Evelyn- <yelling> SHUT IT OFF!

************************************************************************

<Evelyn, Isidore, and Ashley laughing uproariously>

#the sims 3 #precipice #jonah #evelyn #isidore #ashley #sims 3 #ts3 #simblr #sims story

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lawsend · 10 months

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Murder at Vista Heights Chapter 2

Series: Law’s End

Episode 1: Murder at Vista Heights

Fandom: The Royal Romance (loosely, there’s not much canon in here).

Pairings: None yet

Word Count: 2,622

Rating: MA

Warnings for series: adult themes, any given chapter may contain murder, violence, language, drinking, drug use, etc.

My other stuff can be found on my main blog @angelasscribbles here is the Master List.

They pulled up in front of a row of buildings. Walker and Son Investigations sat near the middle of the block; the name emblazoned on a plate glass window that overlooked the street. A dry cleaner on one side, a coffee shop on the other.

“Can you believe I found parking on the street?” Riley gloated as she parked the Tahoe at the curb.

“I’m pretty sure this is tow away zone, Riley…”

“It’s fine, we won’t be in there that long!”

Max heaved a long-suffering sigh, knowing from experience it was fruitless to argue with her when she was hot on the trail of a story. She became focused to the point of being obsessed, stubborn, pigheaded, and bossy.

Not that he didn’t like the bossy part.

She also became excited, exhilarated, and spontaneous. Her eyes sparkled and her enthusiasm was contagious. Despite the abuse and neglect of his precious Estelle, he enjoyed her single-minded determination very much. His adventures with her were worth the risks to his car.

A dark-haired woman looked up from her desk when the bell tinkled as they entered the tiny office. “Welcome to Walker and Son Investigations, how may I help you today?”

Max peered around Riley, “Hey, Savannah!”

“Oh, hi Max!” her face lit up in recognition, “What are you doing here today? Who’s your friend?”

“This is Riley. We’re looking for Drake. Is he in?” Max’s eyes scanned the room, taking in the other three desks in the room, all empty.

“Yeah, he’s in the back, moving boxes of files into storage,” She lifted her head and raised her voice, “Drake!”

It took a minute but a man appeared from the hallway at the back of the office, “Do you really have to scream like that? You could have just-Oh! Shit, sorry! Didn’t realize we had company!” He wiped his hands quickly on his pants to get rid of the dust and extended one toward Riley, “Drake Walker, PI, at your service! And you are?”

Riley shook his hand as she took in his appearance. He looked to be in his late twenties to early thirties, tall, broad-shouldered, definitely worked out, with chestnut hair that hung just below his ears. His eyes were the color of golf-flecked copper as they bore into her, and his touch sent electricity jolting down her arm. She certainly wouldn’t kick him out of her bed.

“Riley Brooks, I was hoping I could ask you a few questions.”

“Sure,” he grinned at her as he motioned to his desk, “Have a seat. So, what do you need?” He asked as he settled into his chair across the desk from her and Max, “Cheating husband? Lost dog? Background check on a new boyfriend?”

“No, nothing like that,” she laughed.

He leaned forward with a smirk, “So you’re single?”

“I am. Why do you ask?”

“I find it hard to believe that a woman with your…” his eyes dipped down her body and back up, “attributes is single.”

She rewarded him with a coy smile, “I could say the same about you.”

“Maybe we could discuss it over dinner sometime?”

The grin on Riley’s face broadened but Max leaned forward, clearing his throat, “Yeah, she’s too focused on her career for serious dating. Could we get back to the subject?”

Drake barely glanced at Max before asking Riley, “What’s the subject?”

“What do you know about Katie Sloan?”

Drake turned his head to give Max a suspicious look before returning his gaze to Riley, “Who’s that?”

“The wife of Sloane Enterprises CEO, William Sloan.”

Shooting an accusing glare at Max, Drake snapped, “What makes you think I would know anything about her?”

“Because you had me follow her!” Max blurted out.

This time the look Drake gave him was murderous, “Have you ever heard of client confidentiality Beaumont? What the fuck?”

“I….” Max’s shifted nervously in his seat, “Not really…”

“Well, if I did pay you to follow someone, then you’re bound by the same standards I am with regard to client privacy!”

“No one told me that!” Max gulped.

“Savannah!” Drake bellowed at his sister.

“What? I was rushed that day; I didn’t get a chance to cover everything. I sent him home with some paperwork.”

Drake heaved a long-suffering sigh as he muttered under his breath about being surrounded by incompetence before snapping at Max, “Did you read it?”

“No…” Max admitted, “It seemed pretty boring.”

Drake shook his head as he looked up at the ceiling as if asking God himself for guidance. After several deep breaths, he returned his attention to Riley, “Why are you asking questions about Katie Sloan?”

“Because Max photographed her with Trenton Hayes.”

“So?”

“So he’s dead. Someone just shot him.”

Drake froze for a moment, his face expressionless as he gazed at her. “That’s unfortunate for him, but I don’t know anything about it. What did you say you do for a living? You’re not a cop.”

“How do you know that?”

“I know. Now who are you really and why are asking so many questions about a homicide?”

“I’m an investigative journalist.”

“You’re a reporter?”

“Investigative journalist and true crime author.” She corrected him.

“Anything I’ve read?”

“I don’t know. Do you read true crime?”

“Not really.”

“Then I’m guessing not.”

“Well, Miss Brooks, sorry I couldn’t help you, but even if I theoretically hired Beaumont here to follow this Katie Sloan, I couldn’t tell you.” Drake pushed away from the desk and stood up.

Riley stood, but made no move to leave, “If you theoretically did hire him for that, what might be a theoretical reason?”

“Yeah, I’m not doing that.”

“What’s the harm in playing a game of theoreticals?”

“Nice try but I wouldn’t stay in business very long if I went around-“

“I’ll go to dinner with you!”

Drake froze again, “What?”

Max also froze, “What?”

Ignoring Max, she took a step closer to Drake, reaching out and adjusting the collar of his shirt, “I said, if you’ll indulge me in a game of theoreticals for a moment, I’ll go to dinner with you.”

“I….” Drake stood unmoving with his arms crossed over his chest as he fought an internal battle. He already knew what his father would say. And Savannah would probably rat him out if he did it.

Still. The girl was hot.

Max shook his head, “No, Riley, you don’t have to-“

“Shut the fuck up, Beaumont!” Drake finally moved as one hand shot out to strike Max in the chest. Eyes locked on the brunette bombshell in front of him, he licked his lips and then agreed, “Okay, but everything I say is just theoretical, right?”

“Of course!” Riley fluttered her eyelashes for added effect then asked, “If you were theoretically following Katie Sloan, what would be the theoretical reason?”

“I can’t speculate on something like that, but I can tell you that the most common reason anyone hires a private detective is to catch a cheating spouse.”

“So, William Sloan thinks his wife is cheating on him?”

Drake shrugged, “Theoretically if he hired a PI, that might be why.”

Riley’s eyes widened, her head swiveling between Drake and Max, “Was she cheating with Trent? Because that would be motive!”

Drake held his arms up in front of him, “Whoa now! Don’t be jumping to conclusions! We have no proof of any cheating! And I’ll tell you this because it’s a matter of public record, but if you say the information came from me, I’ll deny it….” He leaned forward and lowered his voice even though they were the only ones in the office, other than his sister who sat watching the whole exchange with amused disbelief, “Trent Hayes and Katie Sloan used to be engaged.”

Riley’s eyes widened, “Oohhh, an ex-fiancée! That’s interesting! Why’d they break up?”

“You’re an investigative journalist, look it up. Shouldn’t be hard to find. She was a fucking heiress before she married the rich guy.”

“Right. So, society pages. Max-“

“Already on it!” He told her as his fingers flew over the keyboard of his smartphone, “Katie Vanderhilt, college graduation…..engagement announcement….inherits grandmother’s fortune….second engagement announcement….wedding to William Sloan….ah, here we go….the gossip page! Hmmm…..just an article saying she suddenly dumped Trent and went on a cruise….no reason given….speculation was that once she inherited all that money, she knew she could catch a bigger fish. Sorry, dead end.”

Riley turned her attention back to Drake, “Is there anything else that I should theoretically know?”

“Can’t think of anything,” he gave her a scorching look, “but if I come up with anything else, we can discuss it over dinner.”

“Absolutely!”

“Tonight at seven?”

“Sorry, can’t tonight.”

“Hey, we had a deal!”

“Yes, and I fully intend to live up to it, just not tonight. Here,” she handed him her card, “call me later and we’ll get it set up! Come on, Max, let’s go!”

“But-“ by the time he glanced up from the card, Riley and Max were already out the front door.

“Dad is going to eviscerate you,” Savannah told him gleefully.

“You could just not tell him…”

“In exchange for what?”

Drake’s head fell back with a sigh, “I’m not letting you drive my car, Sav!”

“Just for one night! It’s my high school reunion! Besides, if I tell Dad what you just did-“

“Fine! One night! But I swear to God, Sav if there’s one scratch on it when I get her back-“

“Oh, cool your jets, I know how to drive,” she turned her head to the plate glass window, “Your new girlfriend just talked her way out of a parking ticket.”

“Did she now?”

“She did. And she’s parked in a tow-away zone too! You’re going to have to be careful with that one. I’m not sure you can handle her.”

“Shut up, Sav.”

Outside on the pavement, Riley climbed back into the driver’s seat of Max’s Tahoe, “See? I told you it wouldn’t get towed!”

Max shook his head ruefully, “Yeah, well, if that had been me talking to that cop, I would have gotten a ticket and gotten towed! I got to hand it to you….you always seem to get your way.”

“It’s a gift!” She laughed as she threw the car in gear and pulled out into traffic.

“Are you really going to go to dinner with Drake?”

“What?” She glanced at him and then back at the road, “Yeah, why not?”

“I don’t know….he doesn’t seem like your type.”

“Trust me, he’s my type! Besides, a deal is a deal!”

“I guess,” Max thunked back against the seat with a heavy sigh, “Where are we going now?”

“Seventh precinct!”

“Why?”

“Because we have to tell Liam that William Sloan has a motive for murder!”

“Is that the only reason?”

“I mean….if we happen to stumble across some more information about the case while we’re there then so be it!”

“That’s more like it!” He grinned, his good mood returning at the promise of further adventure.

Built in the early 1900s, the seventh precinct stationhouse took up most of the city block that it sat on. Three stories above ground and two below, the many renovations it had endured over the years made it a labyrinth of hallways, stairwells, and a sometimes confusing mix of old architecture and new. The homicide division was located in a warren of offices on the second floor.

“I need to speak to Detective Rys, I have some information regarding a murder,” Riley told the desk sergeant as they entered the building.

“Second floor,” The officer waved his hand in the general direction of the one lone elevator.

“Thanks!” Riley chirped as she grabbed Max’s hand and drug him away from the elevator and toward the stairwell. Lowering her voice, she told him, “I don’t trust that thing! It creaks, groans, and shakes like it’s hanging on by a thread!”

“Yeah,” Max agreed with a backward glance at it as he allowed himself to be pulled up the stairs, “It probably hasn’t been inspected or maintained in a hundred years!”

“That would be a violation of the fire code,” Riley quipped, “How ironic since the 112 is right across the street!”

“Yeah, well…”

They exited the top of the stairs, made their way down a long hallway, took a right about two-thirds of the way down, and found themselves in a large, open area filled with desks, filing cabinets, and a few scattered couches. The wall to their left was covered from left to right in giant casement windows. Directly across from them were doors to private offices and to their right a myriad of doorways and hallways lead off to places unknown. A water cooler gurgled in the corner.

“Can I help you?” A tall, pretty redhead asked them.

Riley adopted her best professional stance, radiating that she had every right to be there as she replied, “Yes, I’m looking for Detective Rys. Have you seen him?”

“He’s around here somewhere, that’s his desk,” she pointed to one close to the windows, “I’m sure he’ll be with you in a moment. I’m Lilith,” she offered her hand.

Riley took it, “Nice to meet you, Lilith! I’m Riley. Are you a homicide detective?”

“No, just a sketch artist,” she smiled.

“Oh? Are you working on the Hayes case?”

“Miss Nevrakis!” a voice called across the room.

“Oh, that’s me, gotta go!” Lilith gave her an apologetic smile as she scurried over to a desk near the water cooler to talk to the man who had called her name and a nervous-looking woman standing next to him.

“Hey! That’s Liam’s boss!” Riley squeezed Max’s arm, “Aren’t you two related? Go see if you can get any information out of him!”

“I don’t think so, Riley. He doesn’t really like me….”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know, something about our family’s money being tainted and me taking it.”

“He doesn’t take any? No trust fund? Nothing?”

“Nope. Can’t you tell?”

She cocked her head to one side taking in the off-the-rack suit and shoes that had probably come from Mervyn’s or Sears. Bertrand Beaumont looked like every other police detective in the department. Eschewing the Beaumont money, he had risen to head of homicide on his own merits. A good twenty years older than Maxwell, he viewed his young cousin as irresponsible, frivolous, and entitled.

“Okay, fine. But that’s a little judgy. Not taking the money won’t wind back time and fix what your great-grandfather did.”

“That’s what I said!” People fell into two broad categories when they found out he was a Beaumont. They either judged him on his family’s history of having built its fortune from organized crime, or they wanted to use him for his money and family connections. Riley fell into neither of those categories. It was just another reason that he liked her.

“What are you two doing here?” Liam’s voice was so close behind her that she jumped.

Whirling to face him, Riley answered, “Looking for you!”

“I already told you that I’m not giving out confidential case information, Riley.”

“Well, then it’s lucky for you that I’m here to help you!”

“You’re here to help me?” Liam scoffed, “How?”

“I know someone that might have a motive for killing Trenton Hayes.”

Liam’s mouth fell open, “How the hell did you already find out the name of the vic? We haven’t issued any-“

“Detective Rys!” Bertrand’s voice boomed out as he strode across the room, clearly seething.

Confusion spilled across Liam’s features, “Yes sir?”

Bertrand waved a page from a sketchbook in the air, “Do you want to tell me why the main suspect in your murder case looks exactly like your brother?”

#trr au #trr au fanfic #writeblr #crime drama #angelasscribbles #Law's End #laws end #cordonia city #maxwell beaumont #liam rys #drake walker #riley brooks #trr fandom #trr fanfic #the royal romance #no canon #choices fic writers creations #cfwc fics of the week

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paridrycleaners · 9 months

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therecordchanger62279 · 5 months

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Twilight On Union Square

(Short Fiction)

The company I work for, The New York Central Railroad had moved its offices to a building on East 14th near Irving Place. It was a cost-cutting move. Business had been off since the depression hit, but the move was convenient for me because I had a room in a boarding house two blocks over and it gave me a chance to walk Union Square to work. My parents use to take me to Union Square when I was a kid. There were all sorts of shops there. Street vendors sold newspapers. I remember a candy store, and a little shop where my father took his work shoes to be repaired. There was a dry cleaner, and a small grocery store my mother insisted had the best fruit. I hadn’t been on the street in ages because I rode the trolley to the office when it was in the other direction. I was anxious to see if any of the shops I remembered were still there.

It was the second week in December, but it was unseasonably warm when I returned to Union Square on my way to work that Monday morning. I hadn’t gone a block when I heard a voice say, “Pots and pans. Kitchen utensils. Everything for the lady of the house who likes to cook. Pots and pans, right here.” I recognized the voice and I turned to see a makeshift storefront with an old woman there I’d not seen in years. Her name was Violet Detmer –“Vi” is what everybody called her. My mother use to buy potholders and kitchen towels and silverware from her when we’d come to town to shop. It had completely slipped my mind until I heard that croak of a voice.

“Vi? Vi Detmer? I can’t believe it. I can’t believe you’re still here,” I said to her.

“Do I know you, son?”

“Oh, I don’t know that you’d remember me. I was just a boy when my parents use to bring me to Union Square to shop. My mother was one of your regulars.”

“Is ‘sat so? What’s her name?”

“Estelle –“

“Estelle Jessup?”

“Yes! How did you know?”

“I may be old, but I remember my good customers and your mom was one of the best. You’d be her little boy, then. Not so little now. Peter is it?”

“It’s Paul.”

“Peter. Paul. I knew it was biblical. How is your mother?”

“Oh, she passed away two years ago.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. I was wonderin’ why she stopped comin’ around. Figured maybe the family left town to look for work. This depression ain’t been real good for business. Lotta my regulars don’t come around so much anymore.”

“Yeah the street is kind of quiet. Is it always like this on Mondays?”

“It’s like this most everyday now. Don’t matter, though. The mayor’s shuttin’ us down for the holidays. That’s what all these boxes is for. I’m packin’ up.”

“Are you closing?”

“Nah. Just a short holiday, you might say. This new mayor has got it in his head that he needs to sell the city to tourists and he don’t think it looks good to have street vendors down along here over the holidays when the big money comes to town to take in a show, or eat in them fancy restaurants. So he got the city council to pass an ord’nance to get us off the street till after New Year’s.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Don’t be. I could use a vacation. Ain’t had a proper one since my Benny left.”

“Benny?”

“My husband Benny. He hitched a ride four years ago on the Nickel Line to Chicago. He heard about a job there. He ain’t come back. Runnin’ this place by myself ain’t left me much vacation time.”

“Have you heard from him?”

“Well we didn’t exactly part on good terms. We had a big blowout when he said he wanted to leave town to look for work. I told him we’d get by with this place, but he said it wasn’t enough. One thing led to another, and – well, Benny is real sensitive and I said some things I shouldn’t of said. But he’ll be back. I know he will.”

“I’m sure he-“

“I’m expectin’ him on the 4:30 train tomorrow, as a matter of fact.”

“But if you haven’t heard from him…?”

“He won’t stay away forever. He just needed to be by hisself for a while and get straight in his head what he wanted to do. He’ll be back. I went down to the train station last year on the 13th ‘cause I thought he’d be back. That’s our anniversary. But he didn’t show. But this year he’ll be there. I know he will. And if he don’t make it then, he’ll be back by Christmas Eve. He wouldn’t want me spendin’ Christmas Eve alone again. He’ll be back.”

“I’m sure he will.”

“You married, son?”

“Not yet. I’ve got a steady girl though. In fact her birthday is coming up next week and I wanted to do something special for her.”

“There’s still a couple of nice restaurants near here. And there’s a new Loretta Young picture at the Acme. ‘Ramona’, it’s called. I love Loretta Young.”

“That’s an idea. I was thinking about maybe taking her to see a big band. I heard Cab Calloway is at the Cotton Club.”

“Is that open again? I thought they closed it down after the riots a few months ago?”

“They did, but it’s open again. I just thought she might enjoy it. She loves to go dancing.”

“Can she cook?”

“She’s getting better at it. She needs some practice, but she seems to enjoy it. She lives with her parents, but I get invited over for dinner, and she does the cooking. Of course her mother helps out.”

“Well you could maybe get her something for her kitchen – when you two get married, I mean. One less thing I’d have to pack.”

“You know that’s not a bad idea. Do you have some nice potholders – maybe something with flowers on them?”

“Honey, I got everything. Hang on a second, and let me look.”

She went around the back for a couple of minutes and I heard a lot of clanging and banging, and the sound of boxes being shuffled around. She was back a few minutes later.

“Here you go. Roses. What girl doesn’t like roses?”

“How much?”

“Ten cents apiece or two for 15.”

“Sounds like a bargain.”

I reached in my pocket and handed her two bits and told her to keep the change.

“Well I guess I’d better hurry along. Don’t want to be late for work.”

“Where do you work, son?”

“I work at the New York Central Railroad office. We just moved to 14th.”

“Well my Benny always takes the Nickel Line. That’s where I’ll be tomorrow when he gets in. I hope it’s on time.”

“You can always call them and ask.”

“I’ll do that. Busy day tomorrow. My landlord is supposed to stop by and fix my leaky faucet. Damn thing keeps me up nights it’s so loud. I never use to notice it before when Benny was home. He snored so loud you couldn’t hear the train comin’ let alone a faucet drippin’. Never thought I’d miss that…”

Her voice trailed off and I thanked her and said my goodbyes and headed to work.

__________

When I reached the office, I started thinking about Vi and Benny and I decided to phone the Nickel Line to see if they had a passenger list for the 4:30 tomorrow.

“Nickel Line Railroad,” said the voice on the phone.

“I wonder if you could give me some information?”

“Sure thing. What do you need to know?”

“You have a train coming in tomorrow at 4:30?”

“That’s right.”

“I was wondering if you could check your passenger list for a Benny Detmer?”

“Passenger list? There’s no passenger list. The 4:30 is a freight, not a passenger.”

“Are you sure there isn’t some mistake?”

“No mistake, buddy. It’s a freight.”

“Ok. I’m sorry to have bothered you. Thanks for your help.”

__________

I decided to have lunch at Marinelli’s just a block from the office. On my way back to the office after lunch I had some time to kill so I stopped to get a shine. I was making small talk with a man sitting next to me waiting his turn, and I told him about my visit back to Union Square.

“Yeah, that place has gone to hell. It won’t be around much longer.”

“What do you mean,” I asked him?

“I heard the city sold the entire block to some big developer that plans to raise the whole block and rebuild it from scratch. They want to modernize it.”

“Well, what will happen to all the shops and businesses there?”

“Who knows? I suppose most of them will go out of business. They’ll probably look for new tenants once they get everything built.”

“That’s a shame.”

“Yeah, it sure is. But the place is beginning to look run down. You know the mayor is on a crusade to modernize the city. He wants to bring in more tourist business. You got an interest down there or something?”

“Oh there’s just a shop down there that sells pots & pans, and –“

“You mean Vi’s place?”

“Yeah. Do you know Vi?”

“Sure. Everybody around here knows Vi. She’s been on that block for years. I don’t know how she’ll get along without that shop.”

“I talked to her today. She said she’s expecting her husband Benny on the train tomorrow.”

“That’s not going to happen.”

“How do you know?”

“I know. Benny use to work at the bicycle shop on 21st? You know the place?”

“No. Never been there.”

“Well when they went under after the crash, Benny lost his job. He started drinking, and he took to disappearing from time to time. Vi got use to him coming and going, and – “

“Where did he go?”

“Oh he’d get an itch and some booze in him and go down to the Nickel Line and hitch a freight. Sometimes he’d be gone a few weeks before he’d turn up again. Vi always took him back. Four years ago he decided to leave for Chicago because he heard they had work there at the stockyards. I heard he did work there for awhile, but his drinking got worse and he started missing shifts and they fired him.”

“Where’d he go after that?”

“Oh he came back here. He rode the Nickel back into town one night, and a security guard at the Nickel caught him getting off the train. There was a scuffle and Benny fell and cracked his skull on a piece of track. He didn’t have any identification on him so they got him to the hospital, and then took him to jail. One of his cellmates turned out to be a guy Benny knew from his years at the bicycle shop. Well, Benny didn’t survive the night. He had a bleed from the wound and the next morning they found him on his cot dead. The guy in the cell identified him to the police, but this guy knew Benny before he married Vi, so when they asked him about next of kin, the guy told them as far as he knew he didn’t have any.”

“So how do you know what happened?”

“I work for the newspaper. I write the obit columns, and I talk to the precinct captain whenever there’s a death notification, and they gave me Benny’s name.”

“Didn’t you tell Vi?”

“The obit was in the paper, and I figured there were plenty of people who knew her that saw it and she’d get the word. And I was right. The guy that has the candy store next to her place saw the notice and told her about it.”

“What did she say?”

“She didn’t believe it. And they couldn’t show her the body because they’d had it cremated because they couldn’t locate any family. So Vi just went about her business as if Benny would turn up again one day. Every year since she goes down to the Nickel Line in December to look for Benny. But he’s gone and he’s not coming back.”

__________

On my walk home that evening after my shift ended, I walked down Union Square. The lights were off at Vi’s place and the door was padlocked. I went back to the boarding house and changed clothes. I’d decided to take my girlfriend to dinner and then to the Loretta Young picture at the Acme. On the walk there, I started telling her all about Benny and Vi. By the time I finished, we were at the ticket window.

“That’s the saddest thing I’ve ever heard. What’ll that poor woman do now, “ she asked?

“I imagine she’ll just keep doing what she’s been doing. She’ll just keep believing Benny will come back to her one day.”

I turned to the ticket taker. “Two, please?”

THE END

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