Some Things Can't Be Solved With Just Clues

Chapter 7: A Long Way To Go

Rice gets us safely back into town and we decide to stop by my office to have a chat with her.

"Why did you save us? Weren't they your men?" I ask, very much confused as to why she blew them up if they were regulars who frequently visited her club.

"No," she states, simply. She leans back in the comfy armchair that was in the corner of my office. "You went to the wrong guys."

"What are you talking about? You pointed them out to us, as clear as day!" Con yells, although it was more of a cracking whisper. You see, he really did scream like a little girl when he got tied up. Slamming his hand on my desk, he knocks over some things. He feels guilty when he sees my look and starts picking up my shït from the floor.

"Listen, I pointed you to the wrong people," Rice looks Con in the eyes and curls up in the chair. "My regulars aren't just some fools wanting my attention. I can't point them out to just anybody and especially to some investigator - I don't care what you're looking for them for." She turns away and closes her eyes.

Con glares at her, "Don't you realize you're keeping away evidence that we could potentially use to find out who killed Devan?!" I am very surprised, surprised that Con finally followed up with a good comeback and not a screech.

Rice looks at Con stricken and broken, then turns away and begins wiping newfound tears from her eyes. She mutters something like "I care about Devan... " but we can hardly hear her.

"They aren't regular people at all." Rice mutters, "They're a gang."

I look Rice straight in the eyes, searching for some sort of sign - some sort of lie but her cold, hard gaze convinces me throughly. "Tell me more."

"Devan knew a lot of people. All kinds - really. He was a very rounded, outgoing, and generally socialized with everyone. When I first opened my club, he was my first service and that's how we became friends."

"Okay - Rice, that's nice, but we don't really need to know your backstor-" I hush Con promptly. She continues.

"Right after him, the gang members showed up and surprisingly, they also took a liking to my club too. It was a nice new start for them and I think right then, they finally started enjoying life outside of the cruel world they deal with." Her eyes lower and she stares at the floor, "We were always a nice crew - always open for anyone to join but then when Devan died, it all fell apart."

"What exactly did they do... ?" I question with wide eyes, slowly pulling out my notepad.

"Unbelievable things. Such as what you just nearly experienced. They took clueless men and raped them without mercy. Of course, I stopped them whenever I knew they were going to... But I couldn't stop them all the time, they were very elusive. I regret not being able to stop them. They had breakdowns; screaming their heads off, breaking objects, and even hurting others... It all happened in just one night."

"How could people have such an intense breakdown... and in just one night?"

"Well, Devan was a huge influence on them. He was... their savior, I suppose. They loved him, and would do anything for him, and Devan did the same for them. Devan helped them through their tough times. He gave them advice, and even comforted them when he should've been at work or stripper school. He cared for them more than he cared for himself; he was a great guy when he was alive. It's seriously a real tragedy that he just left us... "

"I see... but didn't they introduce him to some strange hobbies?"

"Well, not exactly. They loved Devan and knew what he wanted. Devan was a masochist, and they wanted to give Devan what he wanted. So, they kidnapped Devan and raped him... anyways, Devan knew exactly why they had done that, and accepted them with open arms."

"Wow, that's... exactly like Devan. Thank you so much for all this information. And yes, it is a tragedy. His funeral is soon, if you'd like to attend. It's on Saturday, three days from now. Will you be there?"

"I'm... not so sure if I can, I have this Funhouse I have to take care of. I've also got to take care of those boys; just in case they go on a rampage again but, I'll see what I can do."

"That's alright, thank you for your time. Let's go, Con. We haven't found enough evidence." Connor simply nods in agreement, and we leave; leaving behind Rice. One thing that doesn't escape my attention is how fücking stupid Con looks right now... he's still wearing the outfit the bouncer gave him.

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PinxNote: Hello! Please leave your opinions about the book in the comments. C: Goodbye~