Witness Protection Part 3
Following the Evidence

Two days later, Chang and I were hip-deep in evidence. We hadn't had a chance to check in with the forensics lab, because we were too busy poring over Merquise's background information. The cold, calculated method of his murder suggested it was meant to convey a message, which immediately made me think of Khushrenada, or some other disgruntled business associate.

Chang insisted we should go back to the apartment building to talk to neighbors and see if anyone heard or saw something the night of the killing. I think he was still a bit fixated on the notion of a jealous lover.

But I wasn't convinced going back would help much. The scrapping of the surveillance system told me whoever committed the crime was no one a neighbor would want to admit to having seen.

"I still say we should canvass the apartment building," Chang urged for at least the third time, his intense gaze riveted on the crime scene photos and list of evidence the forensic people were still analyzing. "Knock on a few doors and see if anyone caught a glimpse of Merquise's girlfriend." He spared me a glance. "Don't you think?"

"Hn." I gave him the noncommittal grunt I always used when I was distracted and didn't want to bother with a real answer, or when I knew my answer wouldn't please him. I was surveying the list of Merquise's assets, which were extensive, to say the least.

"Yuy!"

"What?"

Wufei shook his head. "You aren't paying attention. Don't you think we could get a description of Merquise's lover from one of the other tenants in the apartment building?"

"Maybe. But he had a private elevator to the penthouse...so unless they saw him in the lobby, they wouldn't necessarily have gotten an eyeful of his girlfriend. Besides, I still think it was too well-planned for a lovers' spat." I looked up at a tap on the door.

"Oh, I sent Relena down to records to get us everything we've ever had on Merquise," Wufei told me, hurrying to open the door. In staggered a small, slender young woman, arms heaped with two boxes full of file folders.

I tried not to grimace. Relena Darlian was a nice enough girl, and Captain Po's personal secretary. But she was also the Chief's daughter, and had been trying for months to get me to ask her on a date. I'd managed to sidestep her flirtations and suggestive comments without having to actually hurt her feelings; but I didn't know how long I could keep that up.

There were plenty of reasons for me not to date her. She was the Chief's daughter. She worked in our department. She was my boss' right-hand person.

None of those mattered as much as the fact that I was gay.

Yeah...big, tough cop...hotshot detective...and I was completely gay.

I don't know--maybe that was part of why I played so rough with suspects--overcompensation. But the bottom line was, I had no romantic interest in Relena, and was constantly on eggshells to avoid offending her or tipping my hand. The last thing I needed was for my co-workers to learn my sexual preferences. There was a pretty strong bias against gays in the department--in pretty much any police department, most likely.

While I was mentally cringing, and trying to look completely absorbed in my reading, Wufei took the boxes and set them on our work table, thanking Relena for her efforts.

"Oh, always happy to help," she said with a warm smile, edging over until she was right beside me. "How's it going, Heero?"

"We've barely begun," I told her bluntly. "Unless someone walks through that door and confesses, I expect this to take weeks."

She nodded sagely, looking over at the papers I was examining. "Well, any time you need anything...you or Detective Chang...just let me know. I'll be happy to run out for food, or to bring back anything you want."

I glanced up, raising an eyebrow. "I do go home nights, Relena, no matter how big this case is. I'm not wedded to the job that much."

That wasn't strictly true. The job was more or less my life. I was called out at all hours to investigate crimes as they happened--and you'd be amazed how many of them happened at night. Well, maybe not. But having the job I did pretty much ensured a non-existent social life. Not that I could have one anyway; I certainly couldn't date a man anywhere I might run into someone I worked with. Yet another strike against the possibility of a love life.

"...if you end up running late and need something brought in..." Relena was saying.

"I appreciate that," I said flatly, dismissing her by resuming my work as if she wasn't there.

"Relena," Wufei spoke up as she headed for the door. "If you wouldn't mind, could you check with the lab and see why they haven't gotten us the fingerprint results yet?"

"Oh, of course!" she said eagerly. As she passed, I heard her thank him for letting her help, and I shook my head. He could be such a suck-up.

Chang let out a snort just after the door closed. "Why do you keep fighting her off, Yuy? Obviously she's interested in you."

"And the Chief's daughter."

"That could work in your favor. He'd be less likely to suspend a son-in-law, wouldn't he?"

See? Suck-up. "Then why don't you ask her out?" I retorted.

"I have," came the abrupt and totally unexpected reply. "She turned me down. It's you she's after."

I stared at my partner for a moment, part of me wanting to find out the particulars of when and how he'd asked her for a date. But I decided it might be a sore subject. "Sorry, Chang."

"Sorry she prefers you?"

"Sorry you got shot down," I muttered. "She's an idiot."

Okay--let me state for the record, I meant that in a purely objective way. Chang was smart, focused, and dedicated to the job. He was also very good-looking, financially secure, and an excellent conversationalist, when he wanted to be. I'd never had any designs on him myself--but I had to acknowledge that any girl in her right mind should.

He blinked in surprise, looking at me with a slightly perplexed expression. "I--was that a compliment, Yuy?"

"Yes," I said flatly, turning a few more pages. "Do you have a problem with that?"

"I just don't think you've ever given me one before."

I resisted the urge to smirk, realizing that he was right. We were both very intense individuals, and immersed in our work--so we didn't waste time on pleasantries. "Bite me, Chang," I muttered wryly. "And get your ass back to work on those evidence files."

By late afternoon, we'd formed our basic plan of investigation, and were almost ready to leave to start hunting down people who knew Merquise for questioning. Chang was halfway to the door, grabbing his coat off the rack, when I saw the name listed as next of kin for Zechs Merquise.

"Chang, we need to stop at the Chief's office on the way out."

"Why?"

I just shook my head. "He hasn't been completely honest with us."

~*~

Chief Darlian looked up when we entered, not showing much surprise. In fact, he smiled ruefully. "Ah, Yuy. I've been expecting you."

I could almost feel the curiosity radiating off my partner.

"When were you going to tell us you and Merquise were related?" I asked coolly.

Wufei's head whipped around so fast it's a wonder he didn't snap his neck. "What?"

Without taking my gaze from the head of our precinct, I replied calmly. "Chief Darlian's wife, Lillian is listed as Merquise's next of kin."

"Yes," he admitted quietly. "He was her son from a previous marriage." He steepled his fingers together. "So, you see, I'm not really related to him, except by marriage. Relena is his half-sister."

"Holy shit!" Wufei exploded, eyes nearly popping from his head. "And in all the time we investigated Merquise you never thought to mention any of that?" he demanded in outrage.

"It would have been very embarrassing," he pointed out. "And completely irrelevant. I never even met Merquise, and it's been years since Lillian spoke with him. There are no family ties there, in actuality."

"If we'd ever been able to prosecute him, the integrity of the investigation could have been seriously jeopardized," Wufei said hotly, scowling at the very thought.

"If that had happened, I would have turned the prosecution over to another precinct altogether, or taken a leave of absence. But it didn't," said the Chief calmly. "Now, do you have any leads in your murder case?"

"We're on our way to see an informant who can fill us in on who was closest to Merquise, besides Khushrenada, of course," I told him.

"Well then, I suggest you get to it. And if you'd be so kind as to not mention the relationship to Relena? She never knew her older brother. His father had custody, and Lillian made sure to keep the families completely isolated."

"Relena's not stupid," I pointed out. "How could she not know she had a brother?"

"Zechs Merquise was born Milliardo Peacecraft--but changed his name around the time of his father's death. It's unlikely even a bright girl like my daughter would make that connection, and then only if she knew she'd had a brother." He shrugged slightly. "It's rather a moot point now anyway."

Moot point, indeed! I had to listen to my partner rant about that "moot point" all the way to the car.

~*~

When Chang and I walked into the pawn shop, the little bell over the door chiming happily, the man behind the counter looked up with a smile.

It faded the moment he saw us. "Aw, c'mon Yuy--Chang! I swear, I didn't know anything about it."

"About what?" I asked calmly, walking over to look at some expensive watches in the glass case he was standing behind. Chang eased over to one end of the counter, getting between Mueller and the back exit.

"Anything!"

I speared the man with a glare. "You're way too nervous today, Mueller. Makes me think you're hiding something."

"M-me? From you guys? Never!" He glanced back and forth between us. "What're you here for?"

"You tell me."

He shrugged helplessly.

"What have you heard about Zechs Merquise's murder?" Wufei asked icily.

I leaned across the counter. "C'mon, Karl--I know people tell you things."

Mueller eyed us both warily. "So you two got stuck on the case, eh?" He shook his head. "Tough break."

I shrugged casually, not at all surprised that the streetwise pawn broker had heard about the murder. Hell, since the reporters got wind of the story, there'd been little else on the news. "Maybe. Maybe not. We've got a boatload of evidence already. We just need a suspect."

He grinned nastily. "I could give you a list if you've got all day."

"Merquise had that many enemies?"

Mueller darted a glance towards Wufei, as if wishing the way out the back of the building was clear. "A man like him--shit yeah. Lotta enemies."

"Hm." I looked around the shop, running a practiced eye over the merchandise to scan for stolen property. It always provided such good leverage against a man like Mueller. "Chang--you got that list of missing jewelry?" I asked in an absent tone.

"Memorized it," Wufei assured me, starting to look around too.

"What do you want from me?" Mueller demanded quickly.

"Actually, not much at all," I said smoothly. "We're just hoping you can point us in the right direction. Did Merquise have a steady lover?"

The shifty-eyed man drew a sleeve across his face, glancing from me to Wufei. "You want to know about Merquise's lover?" He shrugged slightly. "All I know is he was supposedly shacking up with a stripper from one of the clubs he owned."

"C'mon, Mueller--a nosey little snitch like you has got to have more than that."

"I think the dancer worked at The Jungle."

I blinked, a bit startled by that revelation. "The Jungle's a male strip club," I growled at him.

Chang looked sharply at me. "How do you--?" Then he bit off the question, looking quickly away.

Fuck. All I needed was to have my partner realize I was gay and get edgy about it. I waved the file folder at Wufei. "I researched all his business ventures, Chang." I made my tone as scathing as possible, focusing my anger back on Mueller. "Are you saying Merquise was dating a guy?"

"That's what the talk on the street said," shrugged my informant. "Y'ever seen Merquise? Hair down to his waist? It surprise you to find out he was gay?"

Chang gave a derisive snort, gesturing to his own short ponytail. "The hair doesn't make the man, asshole. I'm as straight as they come."

I bit my lip to keep from smirking at the outrage on my partner's face. "Mueller!"

Beady eyes turned back to me.

"How about a name?"

He shook his head. "The man kept his personal life pretty quiet. But if you go to the club, the manager, Ms. Noin can probably tell you exactly who it was."

"You're a waste of space," I grumbled, fishing in my pocket for a twenty to pay the sniveling worm.

He took the bill and stuffed it in his pocket. "Maybe if you tell me why you wanna find Merquise's boy toy, I can ask around and try to find out more."

I shook my head. There was no way in Hell I was going to let word get out that we might have a witness. In fact, I hoped Mueller thought we considered the lover a suspect. As I said before, if Khushrenada got wind of a potential eyewitness, the poor slob's life wouldn't be worth shit.

Mueller scowled. "Was worth a shot."

Yeah, and he meant it, too. The minute we were out the door, he'd probably be on the phone to either Noin or someone in Khushrenada's camp to tell them the cops were digging into Merquise's personal life. If I'd let out a hint of why, he'd no doubt try to sell that bit of information to whoever would pay the best price. I gave him my most intimidating glare. "Keep your ears open for us, Mueller, and your mouth shut."

TBC...

 

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