“Done already Scaggs?” Max taunted as his feline colleague approached; his attention pulled from the bundle of papers in his hand. “I thought you were dizzy for the dame. Shame on you.”

“We have a job to do, Max” Paws reminded him, striding up, thrusting both his paws in his pockets.

God he wished Melody would just go home, but as always, she was being a tenacious little thing. He admired the quality, it took guts to keep a trait like that in a city like theirs, but it almost always led to trouble; especially for her.

“Well, if you’re not that interested, maybe I should take a shot. What do you think Scaggs, couldn’t you see a pretty little thing like her on my arm?” Max joked, supressing a laugh at the deadpan look on Paw’s face.

Paws smacked him up the back of the head playfully, knocking his fedora flying and sending Max fumbling for it with a chuckle. “Try it, and I’ll tear your arm off and go running.” He growled teasingly.

“Oh, do you promise? I haven’t had a good arm hunt in weeks.”

“Are you two palookas still fooling around out here?” the Forensic pathologist shouted, storming towards them with a look of utter contempt. 

“Not much else we can do until you get off your caboose and give us something.” Max hissed, the voids of his eyes growing darker, his tone switching from playful to disdain so fast, Paws swore it gave him whiplash.

“She was nothing but a chippy. There’s no point in wasting good resources on a girl like that.” The old man huffed, waving a dismissive hand.

“Hey!” Paws snarled, fighting hard to keep from baring his teeth. “That girl deserves it just as much as anyone. Life gets hard, people make choices, they aren’t always good. It doesn’t make her worth any less.”

“Sometimes I forget you two come from bad stock.” The old man smirked, trying to get a rise out of them. One wrong move and they’d be off the force, and things could go back to the way they were. The old geezer always thought it disgusting that their kind were allowed in positions of power. “I guess even diluting the pool by half isn’t enough, huh?”

“How did you know she was a pro skirt?” Paws asked, his tone turning casual, knowing smirk touching his maw. He kept a hand firmly clamped around Max’s arm, just in case he tried to slash at the jerk.

The old man stared at him, eyes wide, mouth agape. He clearly hadn’t meant to let that tiny piece of information slip; but nothing got past Paws. “Stop interrogating me and start questioning witnesses!” the old man howled, storming off down the hall after the body.

“Bet you $20 he hired her.” Max muttered, his watchful gaze trailing after the old geezer.

“No bet, no doubt... Fucker. I thought you said there weren’t any witnesses.” Paws grumbled, turning his attention back to his colleague.

“There aren’t. Not ones we can use anyway.” Max sighed, handing Paws the pile of papers.  “One of the girls saw a ghost kid slip out the room last night.”

“And?” Paws shrugged, staring down at the notes.

“There were a doll left on the dressing table.” Max rubbed a hand over his tired face. He knew Paws wasn’t going to like this. He already had enough on his plate, especially now his little songbird was around; he didn’t need extra work on top of that.

“Kids have dolls Max. Maybe they just left it in a panic.”

“Na. Take a look at this.” Max shook his head, tapping at the picture in Paws hands. “Girl a couple a week’s back, found in her ritzy apartment. Same doll sat on the dresser.”

“You think the kid had something to do with it?”

“That kid could be hundreds of years old. You know the don likes to hire um for their ‘skills’.”

“Yea, but they don’t tend to change from the age they died. A kid’s still a kid, mentally and all.”

“It’s worth looking into; even if we can’t use their testimony in court.”

“Anything else I should know.” Paws sighed, handing the notes back.

“Found a feather.” Max smirked, pulling a small, bright blue feather, in a corked glass test tube, out of his pocket and handing it to the cat.

“This could be from anything.” Paws huffed, eyeing the evidence closely. “These things are all the rage right now.”

“Na, it’s too fresh. Came right off the bird.”

“So, a new hat then.”

“Just think on it Scaggs. Clues like this have a habit of turning weird.”

*

A few more hours, just a few more and she could go home.

Melody took a deep breath, clinging to the microphone for dear life, staring at the back of the closed red curtains.

Any minute now they’d open, she’d have to put on her best fake smile, pretend that everything was ok and try not to breakdown on stage.

She should have listened to Paws; she should have stayed in her new home, then she wouldn’t be in this situation.

But where would she be if she had?

She’d be out of a job, no money to her name, and Paws couldn’t possibly take care of her and Liza forever. He’d already done so much for them, it would be wrong to ask for more.

With a light tap of piano keys the band sprung to life. Their bright and cheerful tune ringing in Melody’s ears. It was a drastic contrast to her feelings that made her stomach churn.

The curtains wrenched open, prompting the dancers to leap into action behind her. Their bright glittery outfits sparkling in the stage light, the feathers adorning their heads swaying elegantly with every movement.

Curling her deep red lips into a sickeningly sweet smile, Melody took one last breath, doing what she’d done a million times before, and pulled her soul in line to the bands upbeat tune. Her calm and gentle voice carried easily through the lounge as her eyes drifted across the customers.

Most of the regulars were in attendance. The rain that was so common for the city so late in the year, doing nothing to chase them away.

Lawyers in the corner, too drunk now to conduct the business they had originally met for during lunch, leered up at the dancers, whispering amongst themselves while the staff continue to serve them drinks; Melody was sure they’d be cut off soon, unless the staff wanted to deal with cleaning the mess.

Up front by the stage, young couples danced freely in each other’s arms, their cares long since forgotten along with their evaded chaperones.

Through the dark of the back-room, Melody could spot the bootleggers delivering the weekly order of contraband. Lackeys pulling in crates being directed by two rather sharply dressed skeletons scurried about the place, unperturbed by the police’s presence.

Not that they needed to worry, the Lunair lounge was the don’s favourite spot after all. No cop would dare interfere. The longer the don was in one place, the less trouble there would be. Who would want to mess with that?

Melody Joined the dancers for the band’s solo, her eyes jumping to the centre table.

There, surrounded by his lackeys, and conversing with a rather nervous looking businessman, sat the don. The moment the vocals died his attention was immediately captured. He stared up at the stage, his eyes tracing over every inch of her. He gave an appreciative smile, raising his glass with a wink before turning back to his companion.

Melody let out a silent, relieved sigh. She’d be performing for a few more hours yet. With any luck she’d be free as a bird the moment she walked off stage.

*

Paws stared out at his little Dove entertaining the lounge guests, twiddling the test tube between his fingers.

The place was full, the patrons blissfully unaware of the goings on backstage, or perhaps they didn’t care; either way it was making things difficult for the investigation.

The chief had refused to shut the joint down on account of the don, and as a result there were many individuals trapesing all over the active crime scene.

At least the don looked busy with whichever businessman he’d decided to charm or terrorise tonight. Maybe his Dove could escape early, and they could both be well on their way back home before Caporosa noticed.

“You know this behaviour could be classed as predatory?” Max smirked, staring out across the stage at the scantily clad dancers.  

“Are you done?” Paws asked with a huff. He’d usually take his friends playful mockery with a smile, giving the black eye a few jabs of his own; but now wasn’t the time.  

Max shrugged. “Well, I did have a few cat jokes, but I think I’ll pass. Doubt you’d appreciate them anyway.”

“What are we going to do Max? If the path writes her off we won’t have a case.”

“You think he will?”

“The moment he gets through the backlog.” Paws nodded, letting out a deep sigh. “On top of that, we barely have any evidence. The place was practically wiped clean.”

“You think it was a hit?” Max asked, brows furrowing curiously under his fedora.

“No. They wouldn’t have stashed her in a cupboard. This was an amateur, but one who knew how to clean up.”

“Paws, that’s gotta describe everyone on the east side. Hell, I bet your songbird knows a thing or two on the subject.”

“It’s a start.” Paws shrugged.

“It’s a poor start… You gunna see if the twins can give you somethin’?”

“Please don’t make me go back there.” Paws begged, pupils turning to slits, tail bushing slightly at the thought.

“Don’t like the attention?” Max chuckled, turning to lean against the wall.

“No! They get all handsy, and they’re creepy as hell.”

“Uh-huh. And what you’re doing right now isn’t?”

“I’m doing it for her own good.”

“Sure. Just, watch it, ok? If you don’t, this is all going to come back to bite you in the ass one day.”

“I will. Thanks.”

“Here.” Max sighed, throwing Paws the doll from the victim’s dresser in a large brown envelope. “Greg says he needs it back by tomorrow, so don’t mess around with it.”

A loud thud followed by a series of gasps rang out across the stage; the band’s music instantly came to a halt.

Paw’s head whipped round to find Melody sat sprawled on the floor, a hand raised to cover her eyes, the dancers gathered round her in concern.

Paws took a step, ready to swoop in and rush her off stage, only to be stopped by a firm hand grasped tightly round his arm. He turned, a deep scowl marring his features.

“Are you fucking serious? Did you know?” Max hissed under his breath, expression dark, the voids of his eyes swirling with a faint red hue. Paws should have known his friend would have caught sight of it; Max’s vision was just as good as his own.

Damn.

“Please Max.” Paws begged in a whisper, fighting to remain calm, to not draw out his claws on his old friend.

Max growled low, his eyes boring into him, the air around them sparked, making the cat shudder.

The faint click of heels broke through the tension. Both the detective’s heads whipped round to the sight of Melody sliding off the stage edge, and out into the main bar.

Max’s eyes widened; he instantly relinquished his hold, bolting for the stage door.

“Damn it Scaggs,” he growled, barely above a whisper. “Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.”