Nick felt uncomfortable as the five of them clustered into the elevator that led to the penthouse suite. Because he'd been the last one into the elevator, he'd been the one in the front when Paris herself had stepped on. She'd stood so close to him he could smell the soap she'd used in the shower that morning on her skin. Her perfume was gagging him. It reminded him, however, of their misdeeds in the very elevator where they stood now... and even if their relationship had ended on a side note that day had been well... not to quote the devil herself, but... hot. He wondered if she was thinking about it too.
"So like, I haven't been able to sleep in this penthouse since Lorriane died in there," Paris declared, "It's so uber creepy, I keep, like, waiting for this bad guy to break in and try to stab me in the face." She shuddered.
"Why on earth might someone want to stab you in the face?" AJ asked from the back of the elevator in a tone that could almost pass as innocent wonderment.
Paris continued like he hadn't said anything at all. "When do you think I'll be able to, like, revigorate the room and make it hott?" she asked.
"Renovate, maybe?" AJ scoffed. Bryant stepped on his foot. "Ow, Jesus..."
"Not much longer, Paris," Ivana replied, "We're nearly set with the scene. Agent Bryant traveled here from New York, so we had to preserve the crime scene until he arrived."
"Sexy," Paris replied as the elevator door opened, freeing them into a little room with coat hooks and another fichus plant. Nick hurried off the elevator car even before Paris had the chance to step off it, and took deep breaths, like he'd narrowly escaped something... Which maybe he had. A Tigress, Nick thought, looking at Paris as she followed him off the car. "Are you okay?" she asked, "Cos if you're going to, like, die or something, don't do it in this penthouse or I may not sleep in it even after it's reiterated."
"Renovated," AJ piped up.
"I'm fine," Nick answered, not giving anyone time to react to AJ's correction. "I'm just.... claustrophobic."
Paris rolled her eyes, and stepped past him to the door of the penthouse. As she unlocked the door, she looked at Nick with a knowing, bitchy smile and said, her voice low so only he could hear her, "Funny, that elevator never bothered you that way before..." Nick's cheeks flamed as she pushed the door opened and stepped inside. "I don't remember you being closet-phobic at all, actually," she said a bit louder for everyone to hear.
"Closet-phobic?" AJ asked, eyebrows raised, following her and Nick into the hotel room.
Agent Bryant stopped in the door way to inspect the locks. "Maximum security locks, pretty tough to break into..."
Paris nodded, "I had those installed because I hate the idea of people coming in when I don't want them to." She looked at Nick meaningfully, then moved to the kitchenette, where she hoisted herself up onto the counter and watched from there as the four of them flooded into the room and began looking about.
Bryant began fiddling with the lock. "Do we know if Lorriane had these locked or not the night of the murder?"
"Evidence suggests the officers on duty that night struggled with the door, and the police report says that's how the murderer managed to escape. The door kept them from barging in too quickly and he was able to flight down the fire escape." Agent Focque responded automatically, walking towards the sofa.
Paris glanced at them from her perch. "Yeah, Lorriane would've had them all locked up," she said, "She was scared something like that would happen. She said that once at a party during a drinking game we played with some hott guys after fashion week."
"Did you know Lorriane well?" Bryant asked as he began combing the room for something. Nick followed him around, glad for a distraction for Paris's presence.
Paris shrugged, "I know all the models on circuit. We partied a few times, like I said, and I saw her a lot at, like, fashion week and we worked the international Calvin Klein ads together..." Paris yawned, then switched her topic of discussion. "I think I'll have them put a Jacuzzi up here when they do the reinvention."
"Renovation," AJ corrected again.
Paris sighed, "Whatever..." she reached into her oversized purse, causing Tinkerbell's head to pop out, and pulled out a tube of red lipstick, which she began to apply, ignoring the four of them.
Ivana was standing by the couch, "This is where the body was found," she said, pointing to a chalk outline on the floor in front of it.
Nick looked at the spot and gnawed on his teeth, imagining the beautiful woman that had graced the cover of the magazine Ivana had showed to them at the HQ. His eyes roamed to the Paris city lights gleaming outside the sliding glass doors that led to the balcony. It was a beautiful sight, he had to admit, the Eifel tower and the twinkling lights that looked like a billion stars, the fountain, all of it. It was gorgeous. He looked at the balcony railing and gulped, remembering the debriefing. "Is that where he threw her head?"
"Ew," Paris intoned from the counter.
"Yes," Ivana answered, "As well as the fire escape." She walked to the doors and swung them open, stepping onto the balcony. Nick and Agent Bryant followed her, while AJ stayed where he was.
AJ had leaned against the wall beside the door upon entering the room and was yawning as they stepped onto the balcony. Paris hopped down off the counter and wandered over to him, leaning against the wall beside him and assuming her classic pose, with her minimal bust thrust out towards AJ like it held some sort of appeal. He looked at it and raised his eyebrow, then looked up at her. "When did you two become detectives?" she asked.
AJ sighed. He hated this woman, he always had, even before Nick had opted, stupidly, to date her. Something about her voice grated on his nerves and he couldn't help but think she resembled some sort of weird bird, like a crane or a flamingo or something, he wasn't sure what but something odd. "Nick sort of stumbled into it," he offered vaguely, "There was this whole weird misunderstanding thing with the mob that turned out to sort of be not as much of a misunderstanding as he thought... I don't know, it's a long story."
Paris nodded slowly, "And you?"
"I don't know," AJ answered, "Agent Bryant asked Nick to cover this case and Brian was worried about him." He paused, realizing he was talking to Paris. He looked at her a moment, then assumed his usual pissy attitude with her. "Like it's any of your damn business."
She shrugged, "It's hott, that's all. I was just curious." She sighed, "I hate it up here." AJ just nodded because he didn't know what to say, even if a conversation with Paris was something he'd wanted to have. "It's really icky thinking that she DIED in here," she continued, looking around, "It sort of feels like the place is haunted or something. Like Lorriane's spirit is spooking about... Ew."
"If the room's really haunted," AJ replied, "It's not by Lorriane. Ghosts aren't really people of the past, they're evil demons from Hell." He paused, "At least that's what Brian said." He paused again, then smiled in a fake, sugar-coated way. "But one would imagine you would know all about that, since you're from Hell yourself."
Paris rolled her eyes, "You always thought you were, like, so funny, but it's so unsexy." She paused. "When they rejuvenate this plate, it's gonna be so hott in here... I told them to paint it yellow."
"Renovate," AJ responded.
"You piss me off," Paris replied, her face close to AJ's to make the bark in her words seem a bit more intimidating.
Just then the two Agents and Nick returned into the room and the three of them froze just inside the doorway. Paris jumped back from AJ, who looked stunned. Nick was able to speak before any of the others. "AJ," he cried, "Go wash your face! You don't know where that's been!"
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Paris snapped, her hands flying to her hips.
AJ shook his head, "Oh fuck no she was just trying to be a bitch, I wasn't saying anything."
"I wasn't trying to be a bitch," Paris answered defensively.
Nick rolled his eyes, "It just comes naturally."
"AGENT CARTER," barked Agent Bryant, "Step down."
Nick paused, "What the hell does that mean?"
"It means wait in the damn hall," Bryant responded, pointing, "You too, Agent McLean."
AJ rolled his eyes, "Jesus Christ, I didn't even do anything..." he said, following Nick into the little room between the penthouse door and the elevators.
Bryant turned to Paris, "I apologize for them, they're way out of line."
Paris shrugged, "Whatever. Look, just call when I can start the reinventing."
"RENOVATING!!!!!!!!!!!!" AJ screamed from the foyer.
Paris rolled her eyes, "WHATEVER!!!!!!!!!!!"
Agent Bryant shook Paris's hand. "It was delightful meeting you." He quickly joined Nick and AJ in the foyer.
Ivana reached for Paris's hand as well, shaking it tightly. "I'll be sure to call you on that renovation time," she told the heiress. Paris pushed Ivana's hand from her own, rubbing her fingers where Agent Focque had squeezed just a little too tight. "Don't worry, it won't be long before you can get rid of those ghosts..." With that, Ivana, too, joined the other three in the hallway, pulling the door closed behind her and leaving Paris alone in the uber creepy penthouse suite. Paris glanced around nervously, just waiting for something to jump out at her at any given moment.
Saving the Day for Blondes 2: The Amazing Story of How Nick Apprehended The Infamous Masquerade Murderer Without ANY Caffeine In His Body! by Pengi
