New Game

Inside the club

(No Mike yet)

The inside of the club was dingy and depressing. The floors were littered with trash, varying from paper cups to glitter and plastic beads. The walls were covered in peeling paint and framed posters of famous musicians and models. An unlit disco ball hung sadly from the ceiling. A few members of the police team were still milling around, interviewing a few detained patrons and collecting the last bits of evidence.

"It sure looks different during the day," Ida commented, nudging a stray piece of confetti with her hand. "I don't think Aisha would even come here if she saw it like this." she smiled to herself for a moment, before the corners of her eyes filled with tears. Harold placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. The woman shook it off. "I'm okay. Thanks."

They found Lauren sitting at the bar, chatting with an attractive woman. She had choppily-cut brown hair that fell over one eye. Her visible eye was big and green with a silver rod through the eyebrow. She wore a leather v-neck vest that was cut short.

Harold and Ida approached the bar-counter in time to hear the bartender finish telling Lauren, "She was arguing with some girl, then she left." she explained. The sound of feet on wood alerted Lauren and the bartender to the arrival of the others. They turned to face them. "Speak of the devil. There she is." the bartender said, pointing to Ida. Ida frowned.

Lauren smirked at Ida, "Lemon here was just telling me about the big fight you had with Aisha and how she stormed out."

"I already told you that!" Ida snapped. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"I'm just confirming your alibi." Lauren retorted, crossing her arms over her chest and sniffing loudly. "How can be sure you aren't the one who killed Aisha if I don't make sure of it!" she inquired, nastily.

"She isn't dead!" Ida screamed.

"Excuse me." Lemon interrupted, frowning. "She was in here for a good hour after that other woman left," she informed them, walking over towards the register. She pushed a few buttons and the drawer flew open. She began to fish through some papers before pulling one out and returning to Lauren. "She had another beer. I recall telling her to give her lady some time to cool down before she went after her." Lemon said, sliding a receipt across the bar-counter towards Lauren who snatched it up and studied it.

"SEE?" Ida shouted, stabbing at the paper with her finger. Lauren glowered at Ida, holding the receipt out of her reach and sticking out her tongue at the younger woman. She knew it was immature, she didn't care. Ida growled and pushed Lauren, causing her to nearly fall but she caught herself on the bar counter. They opened their mouths to argue but the slam of a hand on the counter drew their attention to Lemon. The young bartender shot them a death-stare that could have rivaled Marley's and they stopped fighting. Harold admired her mastery of the death-stare.

"Sorry," Lauren mumbled, handing the receipt to Ida. "This has to be hard for you. I'm just exhausted," she admitted. The other person nodded and smiled weakly, taking the paper and tucking it into her jacket pocket.

"Water under the bridge," Ida told her. She held her hand out to Lauren, who met it with a swift bump.

"Did you see anybody suspicious last night?" Harold asked, turning back to the bartender. "Anybody, eyeing Ida or Aisha?"

Lemon pursed her lips and looked around the bar. "Not really. There were a lot of regulars last night and I know most of them personally," she said. "None of them are the types to do anything like this." she mused. "It was also really busy. I don't remember anybody in particular. Except..."

"Except?" Harold prompted.

"There was this one guy." Lemon furrowed her brow, concentrating on drawing her memory to the surface. "They were dressed in a dark jacket, though. I couldn't see their face." she said, "I remember thinking: people in LA have a weird sense of fashion." she returned her gaze to the three.

"Anything else?" Ida encouraged her. The bartender bit her lip and clenched her eyes shut, thinking as hard as she could. The three watched in silence, praying she remembered any minute detail that could help them. Suddenly, her eyes flew open.

"They ordered a rum and coke!" she yelped.

"Do you have the receipt?" Lauren asked excitedly, hopping off the bar stool. Lemon nodded enthusiastically and rushed over to the cash register. She pulled the drawer open and began searching through the scraps of paper before she managed to find the one she wanted. She rushed back to the others.

"It seems they paid in cash." she frowned, studying the receipt. "Do you still want it?"

"Definitely!" Harold grinned. Harold turned his head over his shoulder and shouted, "Yo, CSI-BOYS! One of you needs to get your ass over here! I got a job for you!" Harold ordered. Several people stared at him with wide-eyes. He raised an expectant eyebrow and it was only moments before a lanky man sauntered over to the bar counter.

Under the direct supervision of Lauren, the investigator dusted the receipt for prints before bagging it and sending it back to the lab. She then forced him to collect every glass in the bar, including the discarded cups on the floor, for examination as well. She dismissed Ida and Harold and told them she and Marley could handle it from here. She would meet them back at the lab soon.

The two thanked Lemon for her help and made their way back to the headquarters.