Detective Dark

Madame Muerte

The cells were filled! It took several Marias to get all the arrested criminals to the precinct. The top brass was processing a commendation for Jefferson Perry for bringing down the Lion's Den and heading the largest bust in the city's history! It was a solid victory even though there were many who got away in the chaos. Detective Perry was not reveling in his victory at the moment, however. While the captain and the chief searched high and low, the enigmatic detective sat in his usual spot in the alley nursing the bruises on the side of his head.

"A phenomenal feat, Detective!" Cried an annoyingly familiar voice. Perry shook his head.

"Oh, what the hell, Morose, how did you find me!?"

"Come now, Detective, I'm well aware of how you got the nickname 'Cat'." Morose pulled out his pen and notepad. "So, my good man, tell me all about your victory over the Lion's Den! Speak of how you defended the city from drawing Foundling's children into a future of blood-beaten crime and whatnots!"

"Piss off, Morose." Perry removed his hat and finger-combed his hair back, trying to contain his frustration.

"Perry, come on. I'm seriously trying to sing your praises here." He smirked a moment after a light shrug. "If you don't accept these accolades I'll just have to run a story that gives Detective Dark all the credit." That was the proverbial straw.

"Fine! Go ahead! Run your puff piece on Dark!" Morose was startled backward. He's gotten on Perry's bad side before, but not like this! "You might as well give the credit where it's due. It's probably the last story about him altogether." Perry kicked some of the alley debris and leaned against the door. Morris stepped a bit closer.

"What do you mean, Detective?" His arms lowered. Perry was still leaning against the door.

"Dark was the one who told us where the Lion's Den was." He huffed. "On top of that, knowing that if I had a chance to arrest him, I probably would, he stood alongside us. He saved my life in there a couple of times. He could've let us handle it and get out of there, but he stayed and helped us fight..."

"Well, what happened? Where's Dark?" Asked Morris. Perry finally turned to him and sighed.

"Fine. Only if you leave this off the record." Morris held up his notebook the way a criminal would give up their firearm. He slid it back into his jacket, which Perry did not expect. "You'd really do that? Why do you have such a vested interest in this?"

"Show of trust. Can't keep getting stories out of you if I don't." Morris shrugged with that cocky grin on his face. 

Perry didn't believe him. There was something else behind his interest. Why would a newshound like Morose be willing to accept something off the record about his primary draw? That didn't matter now.

"Fine... During the fight, we were intercepted by a suspect in other murder cases. No name, just calls himself Mensajero." Morris snapped his fingers a moment. Perry was surprised to see that the young reporter recognized that name. How? They never leaked that name to the press.