Fleur Di Lis

Chapter Four

Greenwich Village was a popular student area.  Home to N.Y.U, and a fifteen-minute subway ride to Times Square, Greenwich Village was the village inside the bustling city that never slept.  Nathaniel Carey's penthouse apartment was inside a huge looming building that curved around the corner.  A double door made of glass showed the foyer, which was decorated in light-colored marble and dark leather furnishings and chandeliers that lined the ceiling, lighting the place up like a beacon.

Rik whistled in admiration as we entered the building.  "Nice."

I rolled my eyes.  To me, the decor of the place was a little masculine, aside from the chandeliers. So, of course Rik would like it.

"Can I help you?"

A pretty blonde woman sat behind the marble reception desk, a Cheshire-Cat-like grin on her face and bright blue eyes. At once, Rik turned the charm on completely; leaning over the desk and giving her a smirk that he used whenever gorgeous girls were around. 

"I certainly hope so," he replied in his husky voice.

She giggled, leaning forward so that Rik could see all the way down her white blouse. Apparently, his horrendous attempt of flirting had worked.  Either that, or she was just a stupid bimbo.  I was going for the latter.  "I might be of service, sir."

Oh, Jesus. With a light sigh, I dug out my badge and placed it on the table, opened.  Immediately, her demeanor changed, moving away with a nervous expression on her face.

"Nathaniel Carey," I stated.  "His penthouse. Please."

"Take the elevator on the left," she advised.  "Takes you right up there."

"Thanks," I returned my badge to my pocket and grabbed Rik by the arm, half-dragging him towards the elevator.

"Will you stop?" He wrenched his arm away. "You act like my mother..."

I pressed the button for the penthouse, and turned to glare at Rik. "Get your head out your ass, and onto your job. You can ask that chick out later."

Rik muttered something under his breath that I didn't catch, and he was lucky. Right now, as we were travelling upwards towards the penthouse, I was gearing myself up for interrogation. Carey was suspect number one on my list; I needed to be at the top of my game.

The doors slid open to a space large enough to fit my apartment in... Three times. It was decorated in a warm beige colour with no art, the walls of glass showing the beautiful New York landscape being the focal point. Yet, despite the glass; it was surprisingly cool and comfortable inside. A glass staircase stood in front of us, its transparency allowing the view to speak for itself. The furnishings were minimal but luxurious; chocolate brown sofa set in the middle with a beige shag rug and a glass and mahogany coffee table between them.

It took my breath away.

"Whoa," Rik muttered. "This place is..."

"I know."

"Can I help you?"

A tall, beautiful woman in a fitting scarlet dress came strutting towards us, her blonde curls bouncing on her shoulders with each step she took, marked by the "click-clack" of her sky-high Louboutins.

"This place just gets better and better."

Rolling my eyes, I elbowed Rik sharply in the stomach before brandishing my badge in front of the woman. Unlike the nervous receptionist downstairs, this one didn't seemed deterred by the knowledge of cops being in the building.