forum las vegas lights // oxo // closed

Started January 22, 2022 by @larcenistarsonist group

tune

Damian leaned back, tilting his head to the left to hear the soft murmurs of his kids. It's only been an hour and half since they had a nap; it's odd for them to be so calm and relaxed after dinner, but he doesn't mind. On the other hand, he is not sure whether they are planning an ambush or talking while playing or coloring. A gamble as usual.

Focusing back on the ties, a laugh freely rose from the bottom of his throat; he couldn't help himself with that one. He went back to covering his mouth the back of his hand as Herrera spoke. Now, his attention is mainly fixated on the guy wearing a trench coat and has a gazillion ties and watches. Half of the words Herrera was using flew over his head. With squinted eyes, he stared at the clowns on it for a minute.

"I can only assume how she reacted," He chuckled. Making himself stop, he shut his eyes for a moment as he exhaled. "You know…" Damian gestured to the tie then the poker player. "I took inspiration to pick that one from a very special someone."

Out of the corner of his eye, Felix watches as Jackpot scuttles down a hallway, no doubt following the children. He doesn't say anything, Jackpot is mostly harmless. The only harm the weasel ever does is steal watches and caprisun wrappers and car keys.

"Ana was furious that I showed up without an invite, yes. And also the fact that I showed all of her 'cool adult friends' her pictures from her emo phase." Felix snorts at the memory. Ana's reaction was one Felix will never forget, even though it was four years prior. He had never seen his younger sister so red-faced and had never heard such a long string of curses come from her mouth. "A special someone?" Felix's attention is immediately back on the other man. He raises an eyebrow and twirls the tie around in his hand. "I figure you don't mean me, Damian." He laughs at his own jab.

Giggles rose from Mina's room. Damian could hear Adonis ask, "What are you doing here, Jackpot?" The question was then proceeded with Mina following up with, "Wanna wear a bow, Jackpot? I got this green one you might like…."

Damian was not sure whether his mood was so light because of the kids or because of Herrera's ridiculous ties and stories. "You?" He scoffed. "Oh no. No no no no. Well- I mean, I am assuming you are the only man in the entire world that walks around with an interesting selection of ties." Crossing his arms, he sat forward to get a better look at the tie. With a tilt of his chin, he gazed up at Herrera. "So, are you planning to kill me with that or what? You should have figured that an investigator such as myself is good at guessing plots. You shouldn't have given me the details of your show." He clicked his tongue in disapproval. "Whatta rookie mistake."

"I am the most charming man in Nevada," Felix states, his tone light yet factual, as if he was reciting some trivia piece instead of wildly inflating his own ego. "I'll be damned if you've ever met a man more lovable than me." He stares down at Mae with a cocky smile and gleaming eyes. "Oh?" His head tilts slightly. "Thanks for reminding me, doll, I nearly forgot I was supposed to kill you for spoiling La Playa Dorada del Atardecer." He laughs and rolls the tie up. "I hope you choke on this and die." As he's reaching towards Mae, a clanking noise causes Felix to look down. One of his stolen watches had fallen out of his coat. He quirks an eyebrow and reaches down, plucking the watch from the ground. He's about to put the accessory back in his coat when an engraved name catches his attention.

C. Valentine

"What?" He whispers, playful demeanor vanished.

Damian rolled his eyes at all of that. "Sure…." He knew Herrera wasn't being serious about this, but he added, "Look I am not into that kind of play, but at least take me to dinner first."

His mood switched the instant he saw Herrera's expression. "Hmm?" Standing up from the chair, his knees cracked softly as he stepped forward and yanked the watch out of Herrera's hand. Inspecting it closely, his eyes widened.

Taking a glsnce over his shoulder, he heard the kids laughing while talking to furry noddle. Like clockwork, he got the stereo playing some Korean rock and turned the volume up. He stepped closer to Herrera and whispered, "Let me be frank and say, why the fuck do you have this? What is the watch of a dead woman doing in my house? Is this all a joke to you, Herrera?"

Felix closes his eyes and takes a long breath. It's nearly humorous, how fast the teasing energy in the air had plummeted into this one-wrong-move atmosphere. Knowing he can't lie his way out of this one (not that he would in the first place), Felix puts on his best poker face and stills his thrumming heart. "I don't know," he answers, dropping his voice as well. There's no need to let the children know there's something wrong. "I only steal from people I play against," he narrows his eyes and leans away from Mae. "I've never played with Valentine in my life."

He snatches the watch back from Mae and studies the craftmanship. Maybe he could recognize who he might've snagged it from… But Felix has stolen thousands of watches in his life, and a good third of those times Jackpot has done it for him. "I know what the woman looks like," he says, eyes still trained on the silver watch. "And I can tell you, she's never set foot at one of my tables."

How the living hell Crystal's watch ended up with Herrera, he does not know. In this case, anything he gets on, he's jumping right on top of it; whatever it is, even if it's just a watch.

Damian was not sure to completely trust Herrera on this; he's only known the guy for a couple of hours now. On the other hand, based off of the history he checked, the words lined up with it. He even called Crystal's mother asking if she knew Herrera and recalled the woman saying no. Yet it was strange, why the hell does he have her watch?

"Alright…." He reluctantly sighed. "So you're saying you don't know why you have this because you never met her and you never stole from her." Resting his left hand on his hip, he used the other to run through his hair. "But who would steal it then slip it into your coat? It has to be someone you played with before. Someone who knows your habits and mannerisms. It could be the murderer for all we know…"

"Someone could've slipped me it, I could've stolen it off of someone who had it from her, hell, Jackpot might've found her when we were unknowingly in the same area," Felix lists the possibilities, his lips pressing together in a thin line. "It would've had to be recent though," He says, opening his coat to look at the collection. "All of these have been from the past two weeks."

Felix racks his mind for anybody he could've snagged the watch from. He had played well over forty games with dozens of different people throughout the past two weeks. A few names come to mind, ones that he remembers pickpocketing from. His eyes light up and his posture straightens. "Do you have a notepad?"

"The past two weeks…." He repeated. There could be a boat load of people who had the watch then somehow got it into his coat. Whoever did it surely knows about Herrera to some degree of knowing he steals watches or of the rodent taking them from people. The list will be short, but even he cannot put names down really; the only person who can is Herrera himself.

One thing for sure though, whoever it is could be the murderer too or maybe they have some ties with the culprit. Either or makes sense to him. "Notepad?" Damian nodded then rushed over to his work backpack by the door. Zipping it open, he pulled one out then sat it on the table. Then with a click of a pen, he handed it over to Herrera.

Felix twirls the pen in his hand before beginning to jot down the numerous names he remembered from his games the past two weeks. He doesn't speak, trying his hardest to hold onto the thoughts before they'd slip away.

By the time he's done, there are sixteen names listed. Some of them are solely last names, others a given name and last initial. There are a few that are full names, and one of them screams at Felix from its place in the center of the list.

Braxton Dane

"Dane," Felix says with a snap of his fingers. "Dane, I played with a Dane today." He recalls the old man that sat next to him, the one that held himself with an air of power and authority. He never spoke, but his eyes said everything he needed to. Dane didn't give anything away to Felix. Whoever Dane was, he'd been in the game for a long time. Felix sure as hell would've remembered if he'd encountered the man in seat number two before. It's safe to say that Braxton Dane and Felix's poker neighbor aren't the same man, but the coincidence is too rare to throw away. "Damian, they could be related."

Damian stood off to the side in order to not get in the way. Staring at the paper, he watched as names were written down. His eyes scanned each and every one of them, wondering who they all were and whether or not any of them have any connection to all of this. Both of his hands rested on his hips, like a stereotypical dad, as he leaned a bit forward to get a better read. He probably only knew about three of the people on this list at best.

"Shit…" He stands up, restless from being startled. Looking over at Herrera, his left brow quirks up. "Huh? Dane?" Looking over, his eyes landed on the name Braxton Dane; that's one of the guys Herrera played with today, right? What's he getting at here?

"They could be related?" Damian repeated. Running his fingers through his hair, he messed up his hair, but he focused on letting out a sigh. "What, does the guy have a brother or something? I wonder relation he would have with Crystal….How it all ties to this right now…"

Instead of answering, Felix pulls out his phone, inputting his 12-digit passcode before finding the first social media he can. He types "Braxton Dane" into the search bar, clicking on the first result that pops up. There's seventeen thousand followers to the name and the first few pictures are of a fairly attractive young man in various different settings. Felix finds the one dated a week back. It's in Vegas. "That's him."

Felix scrolls further back, abruptly stopping when he finds a large group picture of people that look similar to Braxton Dane. It's captioned "family reunion lol" followed by an ungodly amount of emojis. Standing in the back with a dead look on his face is the man Felix played with earlier that day. "Definitely related," Felix murmurs. "Dane could've swiped the watch from Crystal and given it to his… nephew I'm assuming. Or Dane could've had it and Braxton stole it, or Braxton could've taken it from Valentine somehow-" Felix gnaws on his bottom lip. "Or the watcha and the Danes couldn't be related at all."

Damian stood at Herrera's side. Not too close to nudge him but close enough to look at the phone screen. His eyes scanned everything that popped up. His left arm crossed over as his right index finger laid above his lip. A hum resonated in his throat as he looked at the guy in the picture. His attention fixated on the one in the back. "Maybe they could be in on it together. Dane could have something against her, or maybe Braxton once dated her and has something against Crystal. Maybe scroll farther back and see if there's anything."

He sighed. "Anything can happen if you let it. And in my job, you have to figure everything out before it does happen." Reaching over, he grabbed the notepad then held it up to read. "Because, if it wasn't me, someone would be pointing fingers at you and then the whole department will out of their way to make it a closed case. No justice, all bullshit…just like the rest." Taking a glance at the watch, the man shook his head. "I'll be done for if this case ends up like that."

Felix nods and scrolls a little farther back. As he swipes, he catches what Mae says. "It's a good thing you found the watch," Felix says quietly. "Otherwise I'd be in court again for another crime I didn't commit." He huffs through his nose. "Officers don't take too kindly to me." His eyes briefly narrow.

Felix reaches the bottom of the page. There's only one more picture of Braxton and his Uncle, dated two months prior. Braxton is beaming at the camera, a handsome smile, and his arm is raised to get a high angle. Dane is sitting at a quaint table across from him, the older man's gaze looking wistfully in the distance. He has a forkful of pasta half-raised to his open mouth with a watch on his wrist. Felix drops the phone onto table next to the abandoned pen and rustles through his coat. Once found, Felix holds Valentine's watch up to the picture. "It's the same one," he says quietly, trained eyes picking apart all the details. "But this was at least seven weeks before Valentine was killed. And Dane's wearing it, not Braxton." He sighs through his nose. "It's possible Braxton could've stolen it from Dane… But how did Dane get it in the first place?" He looks over to Mae.

(Ah, I'm so sorry. I'm a bit busy with school and catching up)

Sighing, he rested his hand on his hip. Damian stared at the phone screen, watching every single post that flew up as Herrera was scrolling through. If he kept staring, he believed, then maybe he would be able to find something. On the other hand, he shouldn't be looking for any signs that can be used as a scapegoat. He just needs a Lego piece to connect to the next thing.

Damian's eyes met Herrera's. Licking his lips, he ruffled his hair. He shrugged. "I wish I could create a solid speculation with just someone's social media page," He said. "There has to be some sort of connection between Valentine and Dane for him to have it on him in that photo. There has to be some sort of relation. We need to keep looking through these, even Valentine's if we have to."

(yeah no worries man!! i get that this time of year is stressful a;dflk)

As Felix reaches the end of the page, there's no more signs of Braxton's uncle. He doesn't bother looking for the older man's social media, already knowing he won't have one. He searches up Valentine's name, checking her profile to find that it's nothing but her largely televised World Series of Poker events. Smiling pictures with her competitors, trophies and medals in her hands, stacks of cash at her feet. A strum of jealously hits a chord deep within Felix. Oh, how he would've loved to take her out in a game.

"There's nothing here," Felix sighs, sweeping his hand through his hair and flicking his eyes up to Mae. "Nothing you haven't seen, no doubt." His expression, for once, isn't playful or teasing. His lips are lightly pressed together, eyes ever so slightly narrowed. His phone pings, a notification from his second-oldest sister. She's asking to call. He sends a quick text telling her that he's available in a little bit. "It's getting late, Damian." He runs a hand over his face. "I don't think we'll get anywhere tonight."

He wished there was something in her posts; something that could give them a better indication in this situation. But he knew that would be impossible. As Herrera looked through her page, he watched, looking at all the posts he has seen a gazillion times. A sinking feeling instantaneously appeared in his chest. Whether it be having to see all of these posts again or the fact that it is currently a lost cause, he does not know; the only thing he does know is that it might taken him days to find out how the watch ended up on Herrera, along with all the other information he has to fish out from thin air.

At first, he said nothing. He stepped back a bit then turned to face the table. Resting his left hand on the back of a chair, the other ran through his hair. His expression was nothing but just exhaustion. Damian sighed, "I don't think so either. Won't be surprised if it takes a while to." Trudging over to the kitchen, he got a can of orange pop out from the fridge. "Go call your sister, might be important. I'll just be here by the counter."

Felix sighs, rubbing his temples with the tips of his fingers. It's been a while since he's had a headache like this. Even longer since he's been so stumped. It's frustrating. If Felix was at home, he probably would've thrown a pillow across the room. Maybe scream into it beforehand. Is he losing his touch? Or is the murderer just trickier than he anticipated?

"Alright then," Felix says. His eyes momentarily flick over to watch Mae walk away, but quickly refocuses on his phone. His sister texts again. Felix huffs, already dreading the conversation. He dials the number, Miranda Herrera's hectic household already coming in over the speaker.

"Hola, hermano!" Miranda greets. Felix hears through the chipper tone. His older sister's stressed. His nephews are screaming in the background. "I was uh- I was hoping you could babysit?"

"A esta hora de la noche? Miranda, qué vas a hacer?" Felix rubs the bridge of his nose. As much as he loves his sister, he absolutely does not have time for this right now. "Además, estoy en medio de algo."

"No, not tonight, estúpido," Miranda huffs. "In a week or two. Patrick and I want to plan to get away. Santana's busy and Ana Luis is swamped with college right now. Plus, your nephews miss you!" She tacks on for good measure. There's more screaming.

"Sabes que no voy a volver al rancho. Sabes lo que pasaría si mamá y papá me vieran," Felix replies.

"English?" A tired voice chimes from the background. Felix narrows his eyes. It's his brother-in-law. Patrick. Asshole.

"No, no estoy hablando inglés para el pendejo," Felix says firmly. "Lo siento Miranda, tal vez en otro momento." Before his sister can object, Felix quickly hangs up. He hits his head against the table. He should feel bad, but he's right in the middle of something very important and his nephews are the loudest children on the planet. He's tired. He can't deal with them long enough while their parents go on some long romantic getaway…

"Hold on-" He perks up. 'I think I have an idea of how Valentine and Dane are connected-"

Damain remained where he was when Herrera took the call. In that time, he ended up eating the rest of what his kids didn't eat while listening to them talk to the furry noodle. It sounded like Adonis and Mina were trying to explain Shrek to Jackpot, but they keep arguing over plot points. Like father like children.

There must be something to the case. The murderer has to be doing more than just murdering Crystal and being done with it. They're toying with the investigation. He wonders if it's to mess it up, but out of amusement and entertainment. The watch could be a part of that possibility. What does he know though?

Standing away from the counter, he ran his fingers through his hair. He drank from the can of orange pop then sat it down. The slow trudging only took him halfway to the table before he heard Herrera. "Wait…." He glanced then rushed over. While it may be useless to get eager now, his pupils were wide with interest. "Really? What is it?"

Felix smiles, a glint in his eyes. He sits up fully, index fingers pointing to the ceiling as if to gesture to the invisible lightbulb above his head. "What if, y'know?" He spares a glance down the hall to ensure the children are out of earshot. "What if Dane and Valentine were involved-" He raises his eyebrows and forms a circle with his right index finger and thumb before jabbing his left finger through the circle in a crude gesture. His smile only gets more devious.

"I mean think about it-" He shakes his hands out. "Dane and Valentine had been going to the same elite poker joint for the past however long- It would explain how he would've gotten the watch earlier! She could've broken it off with him or something and he didn't take it well - hence, y'know, Valentine currently being dead." His smile somehow grows. "Damian, my darling, this sounds like a suspect to me."

He turned to see whatever Herrera was looking at. By the time he had turned back, he instantly closed his eyes and shook his head. Reluctantly he decided to open up his eyes again to continue listening to the weirdo in front of him. Seriously, he is not surprised by the action, yet oddly very disappointed. In all honesty, he's just more disappointed in himself for not expecting it.

Placing one hand on his hip, he used the other to cover his mouth. There is a chance that Herrera's theory could be true. On the other hand, the watch is only enough for some questioning and that's about it. "In that case, I'm going to have to take that watch and submit it as evidence, and you, are going to have get more on Dane if you want to see if he's a suspect."

Damian makes a sour face. "What's with the sudden smile and the 'darling'? You really shouldn't be getting ahead of yourself in this. Dane might not be the suspect, he might be a dead-end for us."

Felix drops the watch on the table with an expression that says sure, go ahead and take it. He has plenty of watches. This one was never quite his taste. Felix has always preferred gold and bronze to silver. Mae's exasperated expression only fuels Felix's internal urge to nag and annoy and bring out the worst in people. However, this is a fairly serious situation and Felix can't really afford to truly ruin whatever the hell they have going on, so wisely, he chooses to be quiet.

"It's the best chance you have, Damian." He crosses his arms and tilts his head back ever so slightly. "Any lead is better than no lead. I can get you any information you need on Dane later, but as of now-" He gestures to the watch. "I'm sure you detectives know how to handle evidence like this."

He looked over at the clock. It's a quarter to seven. Either Paul, who's his "friend" in evidence, is still at work or is not. Sadly it's always flip-flopped which is a pet peeve of his yet nevertheless. Damian took a picture of the watch then sent it to Paul with an explanation. And even though him and Herrera have touched it, he put the watch in a small zip-lock bag.

" 'Anything is better than nothing', so I guess you're right. We'll need to figure out a way to get you with Dane that doesn't make you look like a peacock amongst pigeons." His face was worn yet his eyes were filled with some degree of seriousness and exhaustion. Damian sighed, "I guess. They're going to be pissed since multiple fingerprints are on it, but they have something not completely obscure or covered in blood now."

He turned around, he checked to see if the any of the kids were there. From what he heard, it sounded like they were busy trying to teach the furry noodle how to read. Dragging his feet back to the kitchen, he went looking for his bag of M&M's amongst all the nook and crannies. "What's this guy like again?" He asked. "He just kept to himself and only looked at his hand during the game, right?"

Felix quickly looks up to the ceiling, as if his eyes could roll back into his brain and search for the memories there. He snaps his fingers and looks back to Mae. "Yeah. Quiet, sat next to me. Kept looking over at me. Didn't look too happy to be there. I got, like, not a lot on him. He won a round. That's pretty much all I have. I got plenty of stuff on the other four, though." Felix purses his lips and offers a half-shrug.

"Plus, like I said earlier, I can always get more information on him when I go back." Felix cranks his neck to the side, sighing when he feels the joints pop before moving on to crack his knuckles. "Anything in particular you need me to get outta him? Other than the watch origin."