Read Online Slab City Blues - The Collected Stories: All Five Stories in One Volume by Anthony Ryan - Free Book Online Page B

gene-splicing has its limits. There was an openness to it, extended canines notwithstanding.
    She took a seat at the bar, the tone of her greeting as bright as her smile. “Hi!”
    I said, “I don’t stock plasma or blood subs.”
    There was the smallest twitch in her smile. “Water’s fine.”
    “Sparkling or still?”
    “Whatever’s cheapest.”
    I met her gaze as I poured the water, not liking what I saw: recognition. Please, not another killer-Demon groupie.
    I noted a mark on the porcelain of her wrist. A faded pattern too heavily lasered to make out, but the size and location said a lot. Family sigil tattoo on the wrist - second generation vampire thing. She’s probably older than I am.
    She sipped her water, eyes twinkling a little. She was happy to see me.
    “I don’t do autographs,” I said. “I’m not available for freelance employment and I’m on sabbatical from the Lorenzo City Police Department.”
    She put down her water glass. “I know. I’m sorry to come here, but there wasn’t anyone else…”
    The jukebox roared to life, Long Tall Sally raising the heads of the few sober patrons. The regulars barely noticed. It was a genuine Wurlitzer, payment for an old debt, and tended to exercise a certain autonomy over when it chose to entertain my customers. One of my first management decisions when taking over the Heavenly Garden was to reverse the former owner’s strict no music policy. Something I was beginning to regret.
    “That’s very loud,” the vampire said, wincing a little.
    I went over and kicked the Wurlitzer to silence, picking up Blue Nancy’s empty glass for an unasked for refill on the way back. “Lord’ll reward ye iffin I don’t, Inspector.”
    I held the glass to the Kentucky Red optic, it had become my best seller since Joe procured me a pallet-full from his friend at the docks.
    “As I said…” the Vampire began.
    “As I said, I’m on sabbatical.” I handed Blue Nancy her drink as she shambled to the bar. “It’s a polite way of saying they fired me but haven’t filed the paperwork.” I ran a cloth over where Nancy had spilt just a little before returning to her usual place by the long out-of-order pinball machine.
    “I run a bar,” I told the vampire. “Demon days are over Cornelia or Althea or whatever your fucked in the head parents called you. Whatever it is, I can’t help you.”
    The smile hadn’t gone completely, but she wasn’t showing her teeth anymore. “Thomas DeMarco,” she said. “Ten months ago. You were the lead investigator.”
    DeMarco . I didn’t need to dig through too many memories, it had been a bad one… and unsolved.
    “You a relative?” I asked, thinking it unlikely.
    “No, just… an interested party.” She reached into her jacket, coming out with a cheap smart and placing it on the bar. I noticed her nails weren’t overly long, no black enamel varnish either. “All I ask is that you look at this.” She eased herself off the bar stool. “Contact details included if you want to talk some more.”
    She gave me a final look, oddly warm in its appraisal given what a prick I was being, tapped her unvarnished nails on the bar and left.
    The Wurlitzer blazed into life again as I contemplated the smart. “Fucking hell!” I realised I was reaching for the Sig in my belt with every intention of blowing the glass-chrome monster to pieces. Except the Sig wasn’t there, Sherry Mordecai had taken it after handing over my notice of suspension. I contented myself with wrenching the Wurlitzer’s power lead from the wall then picked up the smart with every intention of tossing it in the garbage.
    “Kindly girl,” Blue Nancy was saying, mostly to herself, gazing at the door. “Kindly girl calls to the warrior, smile like summer, his heart like flint.”
    “I told you before, Nance,” I said, without any real conviction. “Any more haiku and you’re barred.”
    My thumb pressed the smart’s command menu, calling up the contacts