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When the chime rang I remembered I'd left the one Marcus had brought upstairs. I'd only come down less than thirty minutes before, leaving Kevin in the tender care of William, Colby and two other guys whose name I didn't know. They were the only ones left at this hour, and they were still fucking.

I hadn't slept yet, neither had Colby, or Kevin. William and the other two had caught naps here and there. I'd never needed sleep during orgies, even before I was fully initiated in the Society, but now, with the help of a Phrase Fred had taught me, I could convert the sexual energy I got from the sex into

its physical counter part to refresh myself. I had enough to keep me going for a few days if I wanted to.

Colby was the same, but Kevin's burst of energy was because of another Phrase I'd learned. This one also converted some of the sexual energy into wakefulness, but it acted slower, over time, and kept working for a few hours after it was rubbed off. Fred didn't know who had come up with that one, but it was clear it had come about for orgies where none Society members had to keep up with them.

I'd rewritten it on Kevin's palm the last time I fucked him, there was plenty of cum to use as ink. Colby had smirked the first time I'd written in on the otter. He knew what it was, and I was pretty sure I'd see him write it on one of the guys left.

I glance at the top of my desk which showed the time, seven thirty. I'd been trying to read, but I couldn't focus on the book. I still had no idea what I was going to do about the briefcase. it was clear the lemming was expecting me to open it, but I still didn't know if I wanted to.

Instead of the lemming, a gray hare entered my office. "What the fuck do you want Cooper?" I asked my ex-partner.

"What you tone, Mister Brislow." She made the 'Mister' sound like it was an insult.

"Fuck off. You have no business constantly harassing me like this." The chime rang again, so she hadn't come along this time. That'd be Reilly, then.

I kept my eyes on her as she advanced to my desk. "It's perfectly within my rights to look in on a known felon. You know, to make sure you don't slide back into your life of crime."

I was on my my feet." I didn't do anything and you fucking know it. You and your...." I trailed off as a calico cat came within view. That wasn't Reilly. The cat looked from Alice to me. Fuck he looked young. "Please tell me you aren't her partner."

"I am." He offered me his hand. "Detective Everett

Hemingway."

I studied him, fidgeting slightly in his freshly pressed shirt and off the rack brown suit. It was probably his first day out of uniform. "Just passed the exam?" I asked shaking his hand.

"Yes, sir."

"don't 'sir' him," Cooper said, "He doesn't deserve it."

I glared at her. "Kid," I told Hemingway, "let me give you a piece of advice. Get yourself a different partner."

"But Detective Cooper is the best, it's an honor to work with her."

"I'm sure it feels that way, but believe me, at some point she's going to decide that you did something wrong. When that happens, she won't even let you explain. Nope, she's going to be too damn busy destroying your life."

"Don't listen to him," she said. "He was a dirty cop. He got kicked out for taking mob money."

"I was framed and you fucking know it!"

She grinned at me. "Really now? In that case I'm sure you have evidence to back that up."

I didn't, but that wasn't what this was about. "kid, think about this. I piss her off, and withing days I'm accused of being on the take. And who happens to be the detective who uncovers the evidence? Yeah, I'm looking at her. Think on that before you get too attached to working with her."

Hemingway looked at us and shuffled in place. "Look, it's pretty clear there's stuff going on between the two of you, but I think you should set that aside for now. We have questions for you."

My ears perked up. "What about?"

Cooper glared at me for a moment longer then ceded the space to the calico. He chose me the image of a dead lemming on his phone.

"Do you recognize him?"

"What happened to him?" I asked, instead of answering. Of course I recognized him. he was still wearing the suit he'd had when he visited me. I couldn't see much. the picture had been taken while he still lay on the ground, pavement by the look of it, and I thought I could see some blood behind his head.

"At this point, we're considering this a robbery gone wrong," Hemingway said.

"Answer his damn question," Cooper snapped.

I wanted to snap back. Hell, I wanted to punch her, but all that would get me is my teeth punched in. She was the the police boxing champion city wide. Because I couldn't do anything to her, I walled off my annoyance, like I did for every uncoperative witness I ever had to deal with.

"His name was Winthrop." I focused back on the cat.

"So you knew him?" he asked.

I shook my head. "He was a prospective client. I met him for the first time yesterday afternoon."

"What did he want?"

"To hire me."

"To do what?" he pressed when I didn't provide details.

"That's confidential." Even if it hadn't been Society business, I wouldn't have told them anything.

"Listen here." Alice got in my face. "The guy's dead, I want to know what he wanted with you and why he had a piece of paper with your name on it."

Hemingway backed off under the heat of her anger. I glared back at her, but I could see him gather himself out of the corner of my eye.

"Detective Cooper," he said, not loudly, but firmly. He said it again.

"What?" She shifted her glare to him and he winced, but he didn't back off.

"I think the history between you and Mister Brislow is going to interfere with questioning him."

"I don't see why. Let's just cuff him and drag him to the station."

Hemingway frowned. "He isn't a suspect."

"Oh, he's involved in this, you'll see."

I smiled. "When was he killed? maybe I have a alibi?" Cooper snorted.

"The coroner estimates he died between midnight and four this morning."

"There was an orgy at my place all night. I was there the entire time. I can give you at least a dozen names who can attest to that. Actually, a couple of them are still there. I can go get them for you."

"Like I'd trust anyone you fuck."

Hemingway looked at her in disbelief. "Alice, he's cooperating. There's no need for your attitude. Why don't you let me finish that while you wait outside."

"No! I'm not leaving you along with him. You have no idea what he's capable of. He'll have you bent over the desk before the door's even closed.

"he's married," I said, pointing to the ring in his ear. I couldn't believe she'd said that.

"Like that'd stop you."

"What the fuck? Six years, Cooper. Six years were were partner, and in all that time, did I ever even joke about hitting on your husband?"

"You fucking knew what was going to happen if you did." She growled.

"I didn't know anything about that! Alice, I have tried to tell you over and over, I didn't know! I never fucking lied to you."

"You're an abomination Brislow. You're incapable of telling the truth."

"What the fuck happened to you?" I pleaded.

She glared at me. "I found out what you were."

I was ready to slap some sense into her, but suddenly I was looking at patched of white, brown and black fur. I was looking at the back of Hemingway's head. He had interposed himself between us.

Alice," he said. "Go outside. I'll finish questioning him.

Your presence isn't helping.

She glared at him, and snarled as he turned.

He waited until the door closed after her. "I'm sorry." He faced me. "Her behavior was totally unprofessional."

I let myself fall in my chair. I wanted to say something snarky, but he'd kept his cool through out this. He didn't deserve to be the butt of my anger. He had a solid head on his shoulder, he'd make a good detective, if Alice or the city didn't ground him down.

"She did have a point. Your client is dead, there's no reasons for you to keep his confidence."

I shrugged. "It's the principle of the thing. This is the only thing I can do now, if people find out I can't keep things to myself, I'm not going to get any clients."

I'd managed to keep my financial situation from the church. As far as they were concerned I lived off the meager money I made and the generosity off my friends, although those holy assholes probably thought I was getting paid for the sex. So long as they thought my financial future was precarious, they'd fell like they had extra leverage on me.

"okay, I understand your position. Did he have anything of obvious value? Anything you think could have caught the eye of a thief?"

"You mean other than the way he was dressed?" Hemingway nodded.

"He had a briefcase, but it looked ordinary. He didn't open it while he was here, so I don't know what it contained." I didn't want to mention it, but Ryan, he was the one at the department who looked over the city's camera, was going to look at the feed in the area and he was going to see it. He was somewhere on the autistic spectrum, and because of that he could watch twenty screen at once and miss nothing. If I lied about it, Cooper would know the briefcase was important to me.

"We didn't find anything with him at the scene, but it might be where he was staying. Did he tell you where that was?"

"No, he mentioned a hotel, but he didn't say the name. he didn't have a keycard?"

"His wallet was stolen, along with his watch and two rings.

How were you going to contact him about the job?"

"We were going to finalize the details this morning. That's why I'm down here, instead of upstairs."

Hemingway nodded. "If you can give me the names of the man you said can attest you were here all night, I'll confirm your alibi."

I went through the list of who was there and picked twelve who wouldn't get in trouble by admitting to being in an orgy. I had strict rules about sex with married guys, but I couldn't control who came to the orgy. guys invited friends of theirs, who invited their own friends. While I hadn't slept with them, I'd seen three guys I knew to be in closed relationship during the night.

I debated against it, but I ended up giving him Zee and Marcus' names. If Alice found out they'd been there and I hadn't said anything she would make a big deal of it. I just had to let them know of the colling call.

He finished entering the names and put his phone away. "I don't have any other questions at this time, if more come up I'll contact you. Thank you for your cooperation."

Detective Hemingway, "I said before he turned to leave. "I'm serious. Get yourself a different partner. She used to be my best friend, and you see how she's treating me now."

He considered me for a moment. "And did you do anything to cause her to change?"

I shook my head. "All that happened, is that I found out something about my birth family."

"Is that where the mob plays in?"

"No, that's...," I sighed. "I know, you don't have any reasons to believe me, and that's fine, but Alice framed me to get me kicked off the force."

"I find that hard to believe. She's a decorated officer, and mostly by the book. I don't get why she'd do something that extreme just because she's angry at you."

I nodded. "just watch yourself. I'd hate to see her destroy you like she did me." his gaze was thoughtful. "I'll take that under advisement,"

he finally said, but his tome made it clear he didn't believe me. I'd warned me, what else could I do?"

I pulled the phone out of the desk's dock as soon as he was out the door, but I didn't place the call.

I wasn't worried about them listening on the call electronically. Yanick, who had given me this phone, had put many security features on it, once of which was something about packet switching, bandwidth modulating and encryption. He's promised me that even if someone like the NSA tried to find my calls, they'd never be able to slice through all the layers of security he's wrapped around my phone.

I also had anti-eavesdropping devices in my office and apartment. There was nothing like finding out secret society existed, and having one of them be after your ass, to make someone paranoid. The one thing I couldn't prevent was for one of them to listen at the door. I needed to upgrade my lock for something with active monitoring.

I went to the back door and checked no one was there. I didn't think anyone upstairs would care about what might carry there, if they were even in a state to listen in.

"Hello Denton," Raphael answered.

"Raph, I need your help."

"I didn't expect it to happen this soon, but I am glad you changed your mind."

I rolled my eyes. "This isn't what it's about. Are you familiar with the firm , Malek, Malek and Juniper?"

"I am."

"Good. Yesterday, one of their people visited me, a lemming named Albert Samuel Winthrop. He had a briefcase that belonged to the Stenton family. To me, because I'm the Elder.

"What's in it?" he said after a pause.

"I don't know." It was my turn to pause. "I didn't know if

I wanted it, so I didn't open it. He was suppose to come back this morning for me to open it, but he was killed during the night. A mugging apparently. We need to get the briefcase."

"Didn't you just say you didn't want it?"

"I don't, but Alice Cooper, my old partner is the one investigating this death. She's church, if she finds the case it's going to end up in their hands."

"If it's a Society case, there are going to be precautions to prevent outsiders from opening it."

"Sure, are you telling me you believe someone determined enough can't open it? What kind of resources can the church bring to this? Because the moment she realizes it can't be forced opened through conventional means, she's going to know it has something to do with us, and at that point, I can bet you that they will stop at nothing to open it. Do you really think it's a good idea to let them see whatever is in the briefcase?"

The pause stretched. "No, it isn't."

"Winthrop was staying in a hotel. You know them better than I do, but considering how he was dressed I'm going to guess it's one of the high class ones downtown. Right now the only advantage we have over the police is that they don't consider this a priority. You have to get to his hotel room before they do."

"All right. I'll see to it."

"Thanks Raph."

I disconnected and called Zee. I got his message center. he and Marcus had left at two in the morning, they were probably still sleeping. I warned him about the police calling them, but didn't add anything. I'd give them the details when one of them called.

I locked up the office. I didn't see Alice's car on the road. I went back upstairs, Kevin would still be awake and there was a few more things I wanted to show him.