Case 10: Lucy's Dilemma

By: Lady of Wolves

Hello everyone! First I want to apologize for practically not updating for a month now. First it was the vacation, then the new semester starting up, and even starting a new job! And of course other things getting in the way of writing. Bleh, life! Feels weird not updating this for so long, but I have finally returned. As such, updates will return to once a week unless something more important comes up, but I will certainly try my best. So thanks again to all my readers for being so patient with me. And now, Chapter 4 finally! Ta-da. Hope it makes up for the long wait.

Chapter 4: The Canary

Previously…

"Oh Blimey, I touched the prof's penis." She cried out loud to herself. She was never going to be able to look at him the same way again.

Now…

To the outside world, Alfendi looked the way he always did while working at his desk in the Mystery Room of Scotland Yard. He was hunched over while his eyes scanned over the file in front of him. But in the inside, he was a bundle of emotions that were eager to burst out at the first victim that came across his path. The last couple of days had been the most stressful of his life once he escaped the apartment of Lucy on that fateful night.

Clenching his hand into a fist as he gnashed his teeth together, he growled out loudly to himself in utter frustration. In all his years, he never acted like that; never lost control of himself. But once Lucy came along, his world had no chance of staying normal and he had no idea on what to do about it anymore. He was afraid of hurting her or forcing her into a situation she was not ready for. And what made it even worse was the fact that tonight Lucy and he would start working at The Canary.

Alfendi was brought out of his thoughts when he heard the sound of knocking on his door. His heart started to beat quickly inside his chest, thinking that it was Lucy who was behind the door. But instead of Lucy, the small, kind man known as Commissioner Barton walked inside, which immediately made him sag slightly in disappointment.

Alfendi watched the Commissioner walk over to one of his spare couches as he sat down on it and made himself comfortable. Alfendi's eyes narrowed a fraction. Whenever the Commissioner was around lately, he seemed to only bring bad news with him. But instead of showing his displeasure at his presence, Alfendi simply smoothed back his burgundy colored hair and smiled brightly at the old man. "Good afternoon, Commissioner. May I ask why the visit today? Usually I am the one showing up at your office, and not the opposite." He asked.

Quirking a bushy, white eyebrow up at him, the Commissioner eyed him for a moment before folding his hands into his lap. "For such a brilliant mind, you should know why I am here, Al. It is about the case tonight with you and Miss Baker." He stated.

Sighing out in annoyance at his statement, Alfendi simply placed his chin into his hand as he stared at his boss. Alfendi already knew why he was here; he simply wished he was going to tell him that he changed his mind about using Lucy. "I figured as much, Commissioner. Was there some advice that you wanted to give Lucy or I before we start?" He said.

"Actually, yes I do." The Commissioner said. "I worry about you and Lucy. Based on what I have seen lately between you two, I fear that this case will affect your working relationship to an extent that I may have to transfer Baker to a different area."

The Commissioner quickly raised his hand up in front of his face when he saw Al start to stand up and glare at him with those piercing, amber eyes that could rival a wolf. "Let me finish, Al."

Pursing his lips in annoyance, Alfendi slowly sat back down on his chair, but his body was still tense at the words he just heard.

"As I was saying, Al." The Commissioner continued. "Even though I fear what this case could do to you two when it comes to negative outcomes, I do hope to see you two come together even closer than before, but still be able to solve cases like you two always have done before. I have never seen a pair work so well together like you and Baker do. Relationships in the work environment are generally frowned upon, but as long as you do not let it affect work, then I will turn a blind eye to it."

Confusion swirled in Alfendi's eyes, but he sensed only truth coming from the man. "Why would you approve of this? You could risk your job." He asked.

The Commissioner simply grinned at the younger man in front of him. "I have known you for a long time, Al, as well as your father. I see you like a son that I never had, and I only want you to be happy now that I see that you have a chance to be with Baker."

The sudden confession made tears prickle at the corners of his eyes, but Alfendi quickly blinked them away before the Commissioner could see them. An overwhelming emotion that he could only compare to love had filled him and it clenched at his heart painfully. As his looked at the man in front of him, he did not see someone that was his boss. Instead, he saw a man that he wished that could have been his father. How he longed to hear such words come from his own father's mouth, but he was simply too busy with his own life to care about his sons life, especially when said son did not wish to follow in his footsteps.

Not used to expressing emotion, especially with the Commissioner, Alfendi smiled at the man before speaking. "Thank you, sir. I appreciate what you are trying to do for me, but you should not worry so much about me."

The Commissioner snorted as he stood up from his seat. "Not worry so much? My boy, someone has to these days for you." He laughed before walking over to the door, but turned around to look at Alfendi once more.

"Good luck with the case, Al. I know the two of you will solve it wonderfully as always. The two of you already know what to do. It is simply a game of waiting for the murderer to appear." After speaking, the Commissioner turned back around and exited out of the Mystery Room.

Speaking of the two of them, Alfendi wondered where Lucy was at this very moment. In just a few hours, he would have to face her again, which he was sure would turn out to be a terrible, awkward mess for the both of them.

In another part of town, two figures were seen walking past clothing stores, with each person carrying bags that held unknown contents.

One was the voluptuous blonde known as Hilda, while a shy Lucy trailed behind the older woman like a lost puppy.

The Commissioner had asked Hilda to help Lucy out with the case since they had worked together before in the past, which was fine with Lucy. Hilda had more experience in these types of matters, and Lucy knew she needed all the help she could get for this case, which is why she was currently stuck in her predicament right now.

Letting out a loud whine to Hilda to voice her displeasure, she suddenly stopped following her. "By 'eck, Hilda. Do I really need so many clothes?" To emphasize her point, her arms rose above her head, with each hand holding at least three bags each. Besides her own bags, Hilda had bought even more.

Smirking at her frustration, Hilda simply flipped her long, blonde hair over her shoulder before readjusting her grip on the bags. "Of course it is necessary, Lucy. For this type of case, which could last who knows how long, you will need to be prepared and have everything that you will need." She said.

Lucy sighed in defeat, already knowing that it was a battle that she could not win, especially with Hilda. But even with Hilda's expertise, did she really need so many revealing outfits? It was embarrassing enough to deal with Hilda forcing her to try on so many outfits in the stores!

If Hilda was bad enough, what will happen once the professor sees her in these types of outfits in front of so many people? A blush suddenly appeared on Lucy's face when she remembered how the professor had already seen her in the nude. Since then, she avoided contact with him, until tonight came around. She would have no choice but to get over her embarrassment. The faster she and the professor solved this case, the better it would be for everyone.

The bright neon lights show casing the words The Canary lured patrons of considerable wealth into the establishment as the bright stars in the sky sparkled in their natural brilliance. For those who could not afford the luxuries found inside the building, they were forced to be content with the images that flashed across their eyes from the women behind the windows.

Due to the name The Canary, the windows were shaped like bird cages, but were lined with dark, purple curtains, but a dim glow behind them illuminated the figures of women dancing in slow, teasing manners, in hopes of attracting future patrons to see the women behind the curtains and the pleasures they could bring.

To the side of the building stood a man wearing a suit that was tailored perfectly to every inch of his body while his hands were casually stuffed inside of his coat pockets. His burgundy hair gleamed under the lights all around him, but instead of hanging around his face, the locks were sleeked back without a single hair out of place. The fingers of the man twitched inside his pockets at the loss of his familiar newspapers, but had to ignore the sensations the best he could.

Since Alfendi was playing the part of a new patron, he was forced to go inside alone without Lucy at his side. But once inside, he was to meet up with her inside the office that belonged to the owner. From there, no one but the owner would know of their connection, or else they could risk the case if the murderer happened to put two and two together.

Sighing out in frustration, Alfendi tilted his head back and looked up into the night sky. He should have gone inside by now, but he absolutely refused to go in until he saw Lucy go inside first. He needed to see that she was safe, but more importantly, he just needed to see her without anyone else around them. Based on where she lived, Alfendi knew she would be approaching the building from this side, so he kept his vigilant eyes on the lookout for her.

After another twenty minutes of waiting and seeing plenty of men and women come and go, Alfendi's eyes finally spotted the familiar honey colored hair that could only belong to Lucy, but once he did, his body had trouble breathing.

Instead of seeing her in her usual outfit, Lucy was wearing what could only be described as the "Little Black Dress." The small, black dress clung to her curves as if it was a second skin, with tiny straps that looked as if they could break at any moment and reveal her body to the world.

His amber eyes trailed down her body further and noticed that she was wearing black high-heels that had straps twisting all the way up to almost her knees. His eyes darkened as he remembered the sight of her body completely naked to him, but picturing her with those heels on made the image more erotic.

Looking away from her choice of shoes, Alfendi looked up and caught the sight of her face. Lucy was stunning enough without the use of make-up, but the little she was wearing now only accentuated her beauty even more. Around her eyes was dark eye shadow, giving them almost a smoky look to them. Her pink, full lips shimmered with the gloss that was coating them, which only made him want to drag her back and kiss her lips senseless. But the most startling thing about her appearance was the simple fact that her hair was not like it always was. Instead of seeing her usual bangs to the side of her face and short hair tickling the back of her neck, the view of long hair that reached the middle of her back caught his eyes.

Blinking his eyes in surprise, the only explanation he could think of was the fact she must have added extensions since the last he saw her. Logically, it made sense. The less she looked like herself; the better. Less chance of being recognized by someone possibly; especially the murderer. But emotionally, it angered him deeply. He did not want his Lucy to change more about herself than she needed to for this case, but it looked like he was not going to get his wish.

While he was distracted in his thoughts, he felt the brush of fingers against his arm as Lucy walked past him and headed towards the entrance. The sensation caused a small smile to grace his lips. Even one, small gesture brought great comfort to him as long as it was Lucy.

Once Alfendi knew Lucy was inside the building, he headed towards the entrance as well. Stationed outside the door were two large men that could have rivaled Justin Lawson in height and build. Taking note not to get on their bad sides anytime soon, he pushed past the doors and was immediately greeted with the sight of a darkened hallway that was illuminated by the soft glow of lamps that littered the hallway.

As Lucy was heading towards the owner's office after asking a woman on its location, Lucy was unable to get the image of the professor out of her mind. The sight of him wet and nude before her eyes was startling enough, but seeing him look so utterly desirable while still in clothes should be a sin itself.

The tailored suit, which must have cost a fortune for such quality, showed off the contours of his body instead of the loose fitting clothing she was so used to seeing him in. It made her heart beat rapidly in her chest as she pictured herself slowly peeling away each layer of clothing until she reached her desired destination; the body under those clothes.

If the clothing was bad enough, the site of his hair sleeked back as his amber eyes roamed her body sent involuntary shivers down her body. It felt as if he was trying to devour her with his eyes, and all he had to do was stand there like the predator he was.

"Okay, girl. Get it together." She thought.

Lucy was brought of her thoughts when she finally reached the office belonging to the owner of the establishment. Her hand came up to the dark, wooden door and knocked on it three times. After waiting for a few moments, a feminine voice called out to come inside.

At hearing permission, Lucy turned the knob to the door and quietly stepped into the room. Unlike the rest of the establishment, the office was brightly lit for visibility in order to get work done properly. Lucy's eyes fell upon a woman who looked to be in her late twenties sitting upon a chair behind her desk.

Considering where she was at, Lucy was surprised to see such an attractive woman as the owner of such a business, let alone one of the female genders. She was expecting an old, disgusting man who only leered at the women who worked for him, but it seems tonight was a night of surprises.

At spotting Lucy, the owner stood up from her chair and walked around her desk with a bright smile on her face; revealing sparkling, white teeth that a model could envy. "You must be Detective Constable Lucy Baker. The Commissioner told me you would be arriving tonight, but I did not expect such an innocent beauty to walk through that door." She said.

Lucy blushed at the compliment, which only made the owner quietly laugh in amusement. "Please do not be shy, dear. My name is Robin, and as you could have guessed, I am the owner of The Canary."

Robin's deep, blue eyes glanced at the door for a moment before pinning Lucy with a questioning look. "I was told you would have someone else working with you. Have things changed?" She questioned.

Before Lucy could respond, the sound of knocking was heard behind the pair. Robin once again called out for the person to come in, whom immediately did so. Since Lucy was still standing by the entrance, she instantly felt the brush of a coat against her skin, who she assumed could only belong to the professor.

Lucy tensed at the sensation, but Robin was too preoccupied with the newcomer to notice.

"Ah!" She cried out delightfully. "You must be Inspector Layton! I have heard much about you. I was just telling your friend here that my name was Robin." Robin's eyes roamed down the professor's body as an appreciative smile came across her face. "I must say, I am a lucky woman. To be blessed with two delightful protectors." Her voice was almost purring at the end of her statement; causing Lucy to shift around uncomfortably. She felt as if they were being inspected like cattle at the market.

At the sight of Lucy moving, Robin instantly clucked her tongue. "How rude of me! I should have offered my guests a chance to sit first!" Her hands waved over to the chairs in front of the desks, but before Lucy could move to sit down, she felt the firm grip of the professor holding her shoulder in place. The feeling of his bare hand on her skin made her suck in a sudden breath of air.

"No thank you, ma'am. Since we are already here, we are eager to start our jobs and find the murderer as soon as we can." He stated.

Robin crossed her arms over her expansive chest and glanced between the two of them. "That is if the killer even comes here at all. The two of you could be wasting your time, and to be honest, I do hope so. The thought of someone killing one of my girls greatly upsets me, but yet, I do hope you find that person. The knowledge of knowing that sick monster is put behind bars will ease my mind and that of my employees."

Robin sighed after her statement before turning to her desk and pulling out some paperwork. "I need the two of you to fill out these forms for legality purposes. If either of you are injured, my business will not be held responsible, which your boss is fully aware of. Once the two of you are finished, I will have someone escort Lucy to her rooms and they will introduce her to the other girls she will be working with. Have no fears though, Lucy. You will not start tonight. I understand that you will need some time to prepare, though I am afraid that it is not as much as I would like to give a new girl."

Lucy released a soft sigh at not having to start immediately, which quickly eased some of the tension in her body.

"So, while the two of you fill out the forms, I will step out and use the time to check on my employees. If I leave them alone too long, they might start to think I am losing my touch." She pouted her lips at the thought before releasing a grin.

After a few moments, Lucy and the professor were left alone in a room once more. Lucy quickly tensed up again as she remembered the last few times they were alone together, which never went well for her.

A deep chuckle emitted from the professor, which did nothing to ease the fears of Lucy. Only Potty Prof laughed like that around her. Lucy's instincts went on immediate overdrive at this point.

Lucy's body ran forward to get behind the desk in hopes of putting something between the two of them, but the professor already knew what she was trying to plan as his arms quickly shot out and wrapped around her petite waist. The professor forced her body to collide backwards against his and to press intimately together.

"Now, now, little bird." The professor purred into her ear as his arms gripped tighter around her body in possession. "Why are you trying to run from me?" He questioned in a mocking tone.

Lucy's heart was beating wildly in her chest at the feel of the professor pressed against her. "Erm, P-prof.. We have a job to do, so…"

Without getting a chance to finish, the wind was knocked out of her lungs when she was suddenly pushed against the wall with her legs wrapped around the waist of the professor. His hands gripped the bare flesh of her thighs to support her body from falling to the ground. Now forced to look at him, Lucy could see his amber eyes burning into hers with pure desire.

"Do you have any idea how awful these last few days have been? To picture your body naked in my mind, and then to see you dress like this?" He growled out huskily as his hands shoved the material of her dress further up her body, causing the black lace of her panties to peak out. The touch of his hands made Lucy involuntary moan out loud, which only encouraged the professor even more.

Suddenly jerking his body against hers, Lucy was able to feel his throbbing member pressed against her clothed core from how tight his pants were. "I cannot control myself around you, Lucy. Tell me what to do." He groaned into her ear in a desperate plea, but before Lucy could answer, Alfendi immediately released her body at the sounds of footsteps coming towards the office.

Once Lucy realized what was going on, she quickly straightened up her clothing and sat down on a chair as her hands grabbed the forms and a pen to write with. Moments after, Robin came back into the room and saw the pair still working on their forms. "Oh, my apologies. I thought the two of you would be done by now. Should I give you guys more time to finish?" She asked.

"No!" Lucy cried out. The shout made the professor chuckle next to her and Robin to give her an odd look.

Embarrassed immediately by her sudden outburst, she quickly tried to play it off. "I-I mean, no need, ma'am. I was just finishing up anyways."

Robin quirked an eyebrow in suspicion, but simply shrugged her shoulders. "Very well." She grabbed the forms from the two and placed them back inside her desk.

"If you would Inspector Layton, please leave first. As I was informed, the two of you wish to be seen separately the whole time, so we cannot mess that up before the case even starts." Robin made 'shooing' noises towards the professor who simply stood up from his chair and headed towards the door. Before he left, he called out to Lucy.

"I will see you tomorrow, Baker." And like that, he was gone from the office.

Lucy could only imagine what he meant by seeing her tomorrow, but had no time to dwell on it when Robin spoke up.

"You two are quite the fun pair to be around." A smirk graced her full, pink lips as she eyed Lucy knowingly.

Flustered, Lucy quickly shook her head. "I do not know what you are talkin' about, ma'am." She tried to sound confident, but her words came out stuttered.

Robin once again clucked her tongue at her. "Dear, I know sexual tension when I see it. Considering where I work, I see it all the time and can spot it a mile away. I do not care what the two of you do in your personal lives since I have no right to judge, but get it cleared up. I cannot have my girls' lives at risk because the two of you want to get it on like rabbits."

A bright blush came across Lucy's cheeks, but she was too embarrassed to speak, so she simply nodded her head in understanding.

Feeling pity for the poor girl, Robin leaned towards Lucy and patted her reassuringly on the shoulder. "Do not be embarrassed. If he was not already taken by you, I would want to jump his bones all the time too."

Lucy gawked at Robin. "How can this case get anymore embarrassin'." She moaned to herself.

For the third time that night, Lucy heard the sound of knocking on the door. Without waiting for permission, a young woman walked into the office. By the looks of her appearance, she must be an employee for Robin considering she was wearing highly revealing clothing that barely covered her feminine parts.

Robin smiled brightly at the sight of the woman. "Ah, Sarah! Just the perfect moment to come in. I want you to meet Lucy. She will be the new girl sharing a room with you, so because of this, I want you to train her before her big night tomorrow. She is quite the shy little thing, so do be gentle with her." She stated.

Robin winked at Lucy as Sarah walked forward. Sarah immediately kneeled in front of Lucy to get a better look at her and smiled approvingly. A gleam appeared in her brown eyes as her tongue ran across her bottom lip. "I will ever be so gentle with her, Lady Robin." She purred out.

Lucy froze in her chair at the implications of her words, but Robin brushed them off as if she was used to hearing them every day. "Take her to her room and introduce her to the other girls, then show her around the place. Try not to scare her off either."

Robin stuck her index finger out towards the door; indicating that the two of them should leave now. Quickly obeying, Lucy maneuvered around Sarah and darted out of the office as if her life depended on it as Sarah trailed after her leisurely.

That was a fun chapter to write. :P As always, please review and tell me what you think.