it's the fuzz

Gray enjoyed his job, most days. But there were days where he shook his head. This boy, Jett was his name, was being booked for petty thievery. According to the files, it was his first offense... but when he'd brought the kid into the station, several officers had volunteered to take him home. It hadn't been long before Gray figured out just why they wanted to take the kid home - his guardian lived in the red light district... and this wasn't his first time in the rodeo. Gray was quiet as he drove a small black police car down the street. It was beat up, with clunky tires, but it was a holding vehicle and he needed to get this kid home. He didn't like having to put him in handcuffs, but if it made the kid miserable enough, maybe he wouldn't do it again.

"I don't want to catch you doing this again Jett." Gray glanced at the kid in his backseat through the rear view mirror. "You're better than petty thievery." He pulled over onto the curb in front of the given address and looked out the window to the nice looking building. "... This is it." But his tone was more questioning than anything. This was it? He'd been here once before on a noise complaint with his partner. His partner had gone in for thirty minutes before coming back smelling like perfume. Gray had been so angry, and after some time they had gotten new partners, and that had been a year ago.

Gray got out of the car and unlocked the back door with his key, helping Jett out of the car and keeping a grip on the handcuffs behind his back. "I'll unlock you once I've delivered you to your guardian, and I'm going to have to tell them what you've done." His tone was serious, but he felt some pity for the kid next to him. He didn't like seeing kids like this start to young, get into so much trouble. And for what? Gray's grip was strong, but he wasn't going to jerk the kid around. He'd seen some cops do that and he'd nearly lost his head over it. "But if you keep straight, you won't have any more problems like this, that I can promise. And if something happens, you can reach out to contact me, alright?" Gray stood on the front porch of the house and rang the doorbell a few times, uniform straight and pressed with guns strapped to his waist.

If there were any days that Nova found the brothel to be stressful, it would certainly be the days where a bunch of new patrons decided to come in. It's not that she was against having more revenue flow through or having new patrons; it was simply because the workers sometimes got a little too rowdy to catch the eye of the new patrons. Today happened to be one of those days and she was almost sure she was getting a headache from having to deal with some of the new people. Particularly the ones that kept asking how much it would be for a quick play in bed with her.

The moment Henri walked in, she thanked the deities above that someone had come to save her. Well, that is until she heard what it was that Henri came in for.

"Eh? What did he do this time?" she groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose in an attempt to relieve the pressure she was feeling in her head. "Well, if the officer is like the others, surely I'll be able to convince him with the help of one of the girls. You know how they love entertaining attractive policemen."

Almost on cue, the doorbell rang. Which was honestly strange because no one used it for any reason unless they had a customer coming in at an ungodly hour, but it was still early. Perhaps it was the officer, she decided before quickly calling the girls to attention, informing them that they had a guest and would be paid extra if they were chosen to entertain him. While they scurried off to pretty themselves up some more much to the chagrin of the new customers, she shot Henri a look of worry and quickly opened the door.

"Oh Jett, there you are! I was so worried about you," she cried, throwing her arms around her brother and giving him a tight hug which promised that he was going to get an earful later. The next moment, she let him go and turned to the (very attractive) policeman, giving him the best apologetic smile she could give him. "Please, come in. It's not wise to have a policeman just stand out in the open. It's bad for business."

Once she lead both of them inside, she shared a look with Henri as if to say he was right. Oh, she was almost positive the girls would be fighting with one another for this one.

"Ah, this is my older brother Henri," she hastily introduced, sparing a look in the direction of the stairs as the girls began to trickle down the stairs one after the other. "Ah, so... What did Jett do this time? I'm sorry that he has troubled you."

henri desrosiers, gray woods, and jett

Gray slid a glance down at the young man standing next to him at his admission for the dog. No proof? How about the four eye witnesses who saw the dog break from it's leash, meander to Jett across the street because he had food in his hands, take said food, and watched Jett pick it up and start walking away? Or the fact that Jett had been caught with the dog two blocks down by his partner? He could have outlined these points, reminded Jett, but he merely looked back to the door.

Jett said they could go right in, but Gray shook his head. "This isn't my home, manners dictate you wait instead of just waltzing right in." He could not come in unless invited. Manners and police regulation dictated such, unless he had probable cause. The door swung open and Gray straightened as a beautiful young woman opened the door. Honestly, Gray wasn't exactly sure what to expect. He'd been to a few of the seedier brothels when there was a call for the police, but otherwise this wasn't his area to patrol. They were both ushered in, Jett's suggestion and her quick almost scold beckoning them inside. "Thank you, ma'am." Gray's hat shaded his eyes from the sun but as they transitioned inside, he took his hat off and hooked it onto a spot on his belt, one hand still on Jett.

She quickly introduced Henri, but not herself, Gray noted. The inside of the brothel already had customers this early? He glanced at the businessmen but didn't make direct eye contact. He was a literal walking mood killer at this point. She seemed concerned, and so did Henri as he shook his hand with a firm grip. Maybe there was hope for this boy after all. From the description the other officers had given him and Jett's file, these were his guardians. They weren't his parents, but there were two of them who seemed to care. Jett might have a future after all.

Gray noticed some of the girls starting to walk down the stairwell, but they weren't looking at the other walk-ins, they were looking at him. That immediately put him on guard as he turned his gaze from them to Nova and Henri. "Do you mind if we take this conversation out of your main hall? I'd like to talk to the guardian of Jett privately." It wasn't everyone's business that Jett was in trouble, just these two. Gray started unlocking the handcuffs on Jett's wrists and with a few quick clicks from years of practice, the handcuffs were off, relocked, and hanging from the pouch on his belt. That and the longer they stayed here, the more people started to come down the steps into the big foyer they were in. He didn't know who the Madam or Master of the brothel was, a lady named Nova from his understanding, but he really didn't want someone yelling at him. His shift was almost over, and the sooner he could leave, the better.

Normally, Nova was hardly ever worried when it came to police officers. Most of them frequented the brothel and she often allowed them to have free turns when they visited. Quite honestly, she had them wrapped around her finger. However, this one was proving to be quite different and she was not totally sure if the usual would work on him. He was too polite and proper from what she was seeing at the moment. Much more well-mannered than the others were. But he had to be just like the rest of them, right? At least, that's what she was telling herself over and over again even as he seemed uncomfortable with the girls coming back down the stairs again.

Oh, but of course Jett had to open his mouth and be a smart aleck at a critical moment.

"Jett, don't be rude," she scolded, her brows slightly furrowed as a way to show she was serious at the moment. If he said anything too bad and he managed to anger this police officer, she wasn't sure what she was going to do to get him out of the predicament. He had to be on his best behavior. "I apologize for his behavior. He's a bit... testy whenever he's brought home by a police officer."

Okay, so he apparently wanted to talk to them in private, but she needed him to stay there where he could see the girls and they could see him. If they moved, the girls wouldn't be able to work their magic on him with all their charms and flirting. Surely telling a little white lie wouldn't be too bad, right?

"I also have to apologize, but currently this would be the most private area. All the other doors are locked and the rooms that are open are... well, they are all occupied by customers and such. I don't believe you would be comfortable being in one of those occupied rooms. At least, perhaps not now."

She had muttered the last bit, covering it up with one of her signature charming smiles while she ushered them to one of the empty divans. Promptly sitting down, she patted down on the cushion in a way of inviting them to sit. Meanwhile, she shot a look in the direction of the girls who started strutting around in an effort to capture the attention of the police officer while trying to look as nonchalant as possible. Hopefully one of them would capture his attention.

"As for Jett's guardians, you're looking at them. Henri and I are technically his guardians now. My mother used to be, but since she passed, it's now our responsibility. So if you wouldn't mind, would you please explain to us what Jett did this time? I hope it isn't something too unforgivable."

Oh, perhaps she should introduce herself.

"Oh, where are my manners? I've forgotten to introduce myself. My name is Nova, and it's a pleasure to meet you, Officer...?"

henri desrosiers, gray woods and jett

Gray slid a sidelong glance at Jett. "I'm well aware of where I'm standing, thank you Captain." Gray nodded politely to the women as they started coming down. He had had his own lovers in the past (the few), but it still surprised him just what sort of clothing they came out with for these typs of women... and he meant that in the nicest way he could say it. He held onto Jett's handcuffs as he glanced at the women. He'd sent his partner home because his partner was too keen on coming here in uniform. Now he vaguely wished he had, just so their attention could be on his older partner and not solely on him.

Nova, the guardian, started scolding Jett as did this Henri fellow as Gray unlocked Jett's cuffs. He had promised to return him to guardian custody, and he had, now it was just explaining the severity of things. Which, according to Jett's "clean" record... would be interesting. "He's testy when an officer brings him home? That's very interesting ma'am, that would imply that he's been brought home by an officer before." He hooked his cuffs back into the holster, the keys back into his front shirt pocket that he clipped shut. He sent both Henri and Nova a glance. "I was afraid of that. His record's been exsponged several times then."

Nova started to lead them over to a couch (nearly in the middle of this grand foyer) and Gray followed her warily, but did not sit quite yet. "All of the other areas are locked?" His tone clearly outlined his disbelief as he looked at her. Why would she lock herself out of the other areas? It made no sense. Gray stood in front of her, hands loosely at his sides, one hand resting on his hip. He turned when he saw the girls start to mill about behind him, a lot closer now, and felt uncomfortable. He didn't like unknown people being behind him while he was on the job. He nearly jumped out of his skin when one of the girls passed behind him and her fan lightly ran across the small of his back. He turned quick to look at her and she fluttered the fan in front of her face with a smile.

Gray moved to sit next to Nova, feeling that the couch was safer. "Woods, Officer Woods." He could hear Henri and Jett murmuring off in the distance, barely, and assumed Henri was letting Jett have it. "He tried to steal a dog from Magician Harris's wife, on Rue Monge. We have at least five eye witnesses, and he was booked by partner and myself. The judge, Judge Courtois, let it slide." Nothing would go on record. Again, shady. "Mrs. Nova, you do realize that Jett is an adult now, and his next offense will have him held and tried as an adult." He wasn't paying any attention to the women who were there in the lobby, but he did feel uncomfortable about it. "Jett doesn't seem to understand this concept, and everything was explained to him on the way over. You need to press this issue with him and reiterate just how bad this circumstance can become if he's not careful. This might be his first offense that stays on the record." Two girls were leaning on either side of the duvian now but he kept his tone as polite and quiet as possible. Privacy? What privacy.





Nova Solano henri desrosiers jett