The Seven Deadly Sins: Demon of Pride

As Andy and Eva began making their way back to the office, CC had his own agenda. After a few weeks of search, he thought he had found Monroe’s father, Blake Robertson.
After driving twenty minutes outside of town, he had reached a small house off the coast of California. Walking up the stone drive, he looked around for clues to who may live here. Reaching the door, he lifted his balled up fist to knock on it.
Sure enough, Blake Robertson answered.
“Yes, may I help you” the elder man said to CC.
“Yes, sir,” he smiled, “I believe you can. I am Detective Christian Coma with the LA Private Detective Agency…”
Before he could finish, the man opened the door further and motioned for CC to come in. After CC entered, Blake looked around and closed the door carefully. Finally calming down he directed the young detective to the living room.
Sitting in an armchair, he motioned at the opposing one on the other side of the coffee table.
“Now,” Blake said while lighting his cigar, “How did you find me?”
“Oh, I dug in the correct spots until I found enough information to piece things together.” CC said, not really giving away that Ashley had taken Celeste out, wined and dined her, and had a one-nighter just for the information.
“Ah,” the old man blew out smoke and sighed, “So, I supposed you know about Leslie now, too?”
“Yes sir,” CC began, “We were hoping you could help us…”
He stopped suddenly.
“Why did you fake your death?”
“After I told Leslie about Tyler and Celeste, she flew off the handle. Somehow, Tyler thought she had forgiven him about 2 months later, but no she didn’t. She knows the Hooded Man; she is sleeping with him.”
Now this just got even more interesting, CC thought.
“I faked my death because she threatened my family, my brother Daniel’s family, and Tyler’s family. Monroe and Ty were best friends in high school. I knew that bitch was going to such him dry; first his money, now his life.”
The old man knocked the ashes off of the tip of his stogie, and got up.
“Ty was a good man,” he sighed, “I called him a demon of pride once. I was angry; didn’t understand why they would tear down a perfectly good church. I asked for the contractors to share with me the building credentials. My church was ridden with termites and wood bees. No way would it have lasted a renovation.”
“How did she threaten you?” CC asked, finally taking out his note pad after soaking in the new information.
“Well,” he fumbled his words, “She didn’t exactly.”
Blake got up and walked to the window facing the ocean.
“The Hooded Man did, but through her.”
“So, Leslie could be in danger as well?”
The questions were piling up with little to no answers. Throughout the conversation, CC found that Blake was put on the Witness protection program list by the FBI and CIA. It was confusing as to how the office completely missed this information, but then again the FBI and CIA channels were two miles thick; if they didn’t want you knowing something, you wouldn’t know about it.
Thanking Blake for his time, CC left the small living space and headed back into LA.


Hours go by; the team agreed to meet at Eva’s for a meeting. The investigation was going nowhere, and it was driving Eva crazy. Ashley, Jinxx, and Jake were en route to her house when the stopped at the same light CC was at. Looking sour and glum, the group of men decided to wait until they reach their destination before asking him how his part of the case was going.
“I wonder what happened to him,” Jinxx asked flipping his shoulder length hair out of his face.
“Probably came back with more questions than answers,” Jake said, turning onto Eva’s street.
“Doesn’t that usually happen though,” A confused Ashley asked from the back seat.
“Yea,” Jake said sighing, “I think they are just getting tired of it. I know I am; I get bored in the lab without anything to do.”
“The morgue is kind of boring too, now that I think about it,” Jinxx agreed.
“I’m not bored,” Ash said happily, “I have plenty of things to do,”
“Interns,” the two men in the front of the car said in unison.
“Ash,” Jinxx said turning in his seat, “We are not counting vaginas in this conversation. You haven’t had a lead to go off of in a couple weeks since the murder happened.”
Grumbling, the flirtatious crime scene specialist stopped arguing. The three men pulled into her driveway only to see CC follow suit.
“Here goes nothing,” Jake said, opening the driver door.

Once in the house, the men grabbed pizza (courtesy of Eva) and a beer a piece. Sitting down at the table, the realized something was amiss.
“No cards, E?” Ash asked, looking up at his chief in command.
“Not this evening.” She said, troubled by the lack of answers, “We are playing Kings fellas.”
“Woo,” Jinxx cheered taking a sip of his beer.
Andy came wondering into the dining room and sat down next to Eva, who was at the head of the table again.
“Gentlemen, We have a problem”
Eva looked at her team with a hint of annoyance.
Tonight was going to be interesting

Notes